


Crossed Wires

by LucindaAM



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Bucky and Sam get in trouble, But Also Gone Right, F/M, Fluff, Light Swearing, My idea for a Falcon and Winter Soldier Plot, No Smut, Post end game, Reader is Enhanced, Result of a Mad-Science Experiment Gone Wrong, Sam knew Reader before, She's on the run
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:27:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 22,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23761546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucindaAM/pseuds/LucindaAM
Summary: Steve passed on his infamous shield to the man he believed the best fit to carry on the legacy; Sam Wilson. The problem is, the government doesn't see it the same way. Now, tasked with righting a wrong, Bucky and Sam become unlikely allies as they navigate a world post-avengers together.But all heroes need help.Turning to a friend Sam knew from his life before, Bucky learns what it is to find a place in his new world. But not everything is as it seems in her world. And Bucky and Sam aren't the only one the government is watching.Will Bucky and Sam be able to protect her? Or will she be the one protecting them?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Sam Wilson & Reader
Comments: 48
Kudos: 135





	1. Undercover

“You didn’t have to come.” Bucky muttered angrily into his coffee, trying not to send a vicious glare in Sam’s direction. Sam was casually leaning against a lamp post, pretending to talk to someone on his phone. 

“Yeah, I did, man. You’re bad at this.” 

“Of the two of us, which is a trained assassin?” Bucky snarked. 

“Of the two of us, which one isn’t half robot? I blend.” Sam retorted. 

Bucky muttered some unsavory words as he took another sip of his coffee, but Sam just laughed. 

“I’m not leaving. So quit your whining. Besides, I bet you ten bucks that I’ll get the intel before you do.” 

Bucky waited until Sam glanced his way, casually of course, and then, just as casually, flipped him the bird. 

Bucky ignored Sam’s chuckles as he glanced at the building across the way. There was an earbud in his ear, quietly feeding him radio chatter from the bug he’d placed before he’d sat down at the small coffee shop. With any luck, he would have the information they needed soon, and he could go back home and hit the gym. He’d been dealing with Sam all morning and could really use the time to work the tension out of his back. 

It had been a few months since Stevie had left and gone back to the 1940’s. Part of him wished that he could have gone with his old friend, but the bigger part of him recognized that while the 1940’s may have had room for Steve, he didn’t belong there. Not anymore. He was too different. Too . . . Winter Soldier. 

Bucky stifled a sigh. No. It was better that he stayed here. Even if he was stuck with Birdbrain. 

Bucky watched as Sam’s body tensed and felt his own tense in response to the perceived threat. 

“Damn it.” Sam breathed. 

“Trouble?” Bucky asked not-so-innocently, smiling into his coffee. 

Sam cursed again. “Think I’ve been spotted.” 

Behind his sunglasses, Bucky’s eyes flicked to the other side of the street. Sure enough, two hulking men in well-tailored suits were making their way across the street with trademark scowls locked in place. 

“Too bad you can’t fly away from all your problems.” 

“Screw you, pal.” 

Bucky smirked again. He’d known Sam couldn’t pull this off. Looked like he was about to be ten dollars richer. Maybe he’d buy those pastries from the donut shop that Sam liked and then eat them in front of him. 

“Better think fast. If they catch you, I’m not going to risk my neck to save you.” Bucky said. He watched as Sam glanced down the street, his jaw clenching. A beautiful young woman was walking up the sidewalk, head bent as her fingers flew over the keypad on her phone. She barely seemed aware of her surroundings, though there was something about her . . . 

Sam stepped up to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. She glanced up, startled. 

“Just go with it.” Using his super hearing, Bucky heard Sam whisper, before Sam raised his voice to a normal register. “Baby! There you are! I was about to send the search party.” He laughed in what was clearly an attempt to be flirtatious and then, he tightened his hold on the poor young woman before he bent her low and planted a passionate kiss on her. 

Bucky choked on his coffee. His eyes swiveled to the two security goons making their way over. Their footsteps faltered as they took in the scene before they glanced at each other, shook their heads, and moved back towards the building they’d been standing in front of. Over the comms Bucky heard their grumblings. “There’s a man if I’ve ever seen one.” 

“Haha. I wouldn’t mind going home to her every night.” 

Sam pulled the stranger upright and leaned his forehead against hers. “Would appreciate it if you didn’t slap me.” He whispered. 

Bucky raised a hand to his forehead, massaging it under his baseball hat. If the girl didn’t slap his idiot, he’d do it for her. Bucky’s ma would’ve given him the scolding of a lifetime if he’d ever tried to do something like that to an unsuspecting gal. 

The comm was suspiciously silent which made Bucky glance back up just in time to see Sam slipping the comm into his pocket as he smiled at the girl. Though there was a smile on her face, her fists were clenched at her side, a clear indication that she was seconds away from decking Sam. 

Bucky secretly hoped she’d do it in front of him. 

Instead, she nodded once and took Sam’s hand when he offered it to her. Sam sent Bucky a few discreet hand gestures, indicating he’d meet him at the rendezvous point before he led the girl away from the coffee shop and up the street. 

Bucky smiled into his coffee. Today was looking up. Already he was ten bucks richer and the thought of a strange woman socking his friend in the face or better yet . . . below the belt . . . well . . . that was sure to keep a smile on his face for the rest of the day.


	2. Introductions

Bucky approached the bench carefully. He was at the rendezvous, and you were . . . still with Sam. Bucky couldn’t help himself as every instinct in him suddenly went on high alert. 

“Barnes!” Sam called out, waving him over. 

Bucky shot him a look but slowly approached. You didn’t bother turning around, just took another sip of your drink and smiled evilly as Sam winced as his waving arm tugged at the muscles in his stomach. It was nice to know you hadn’t forgotten how to throw a punch. 

You felt a looming figure move behind you, and you willed yourself to relax. Thanks to your . . . thing . . . you knew who he was and what had happened to him. You didn’t want to scare him off. In this case, it was best to play it calmly. For both your sakes. 

“Y/N, meet Barnes. Barnes, Y/N.” Sam gestured between the two of you. 

You turned around slowly and sent Bucky a charming smile. “James Barnes, 107th, right? Nice to meet you.” You held out your hand and . . . left it hanging. 

Bucky glanced at it, before glancing at you and then glancing over at Sam. He crossed his arms over his chest. You withdrew your hand. 

“You two know each other?” 

“Went through basic together. Y/N here was nearly as good as I was.” 

You sighed dramatically. “Don’t be so modest.” You laughed. You turned to Bucky and immediately put on a serious face. “I was better.” 

Bucky didn’t laugh. You resisted the urge to sigh. Gee. Tough crowd. 

Sam seemed to pick up on the tension. “You get the intel?” He asked Bucky, turning away from you and changing the subject. 

Bucky grunted. 

“Right . . .” Sam muttered. “Care to share with the class?” 

“You two plan that kiss?” Bucky asked suddenly. 

You and Sam glanced at each other before you both started laughing. You laughed so hard tears formed in your eyes. Damn it felt good to laugh like this again. 

Bucky didn’t seem so amused. You took a few deep breaths as you calmed down and tried to explain. 

“Right place, right time.” Sam beat you to it. 

“Or wrong place, wrong time. Depending on how you see it.” You argued, a smile on your lips. You glanced up at Bucky. “I haven’t seen Tweety Bird over there in months. I was on my way to an interview when he decided to manhandle me.” 

Bucky shot a threatening glare at Sam and you felt a warm feeling spread over your chest at his chivalrous, if unnecessary display. You sent a wink his way. “Don’t worry. I manhandled right back.” 

Sam rubbed a hand over his wounded stomach and twisted ear. “Yeah. You still know how to swing a mean right-hook. You’re lucky I don’t bruise. And that I need a favor. Otherwise, I might hold a grudge.” 

Your smile faded and you crossed your arms and sent a glare his way. 

“What favor?” 

“Listen . . . we got into a little disagreement with the government . . .” 

“Oh no. No, no, no.” You said, standing up and backing away. 

Sam said your name in that gentle pleading way that you’d always found hard to resist. 

“No!” You ran your hands through your hair frustratedly, ignoring the looks Bucky was sending your way. “You want another one?!” You hissed. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to clean up the fiasco you caused with the last one?!” 

Sam grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t think it’s going to be anything like it was last time . . .” 

You spun around and jabbed a finger at Bucky. “You believe this guy? He wants another one!” You spun back towards Sam. “You go through them like they’re candy, man! News flash! They’re not!” 

Bucky sighed wearily. “What are you talking about?” He asked, turning to Sam. 

Sam groaned and dropped his face into his hands. “We need a safe-house, man. A place to lay low. She’s got a couple.” He gestured to you. You were already shaking your head again. 

Bucky turned to look at you with a suspicious glint in his eyes. 

You sent him an irritated look. Here were two idiots coming to YOU for help and now one of them was too good to stoop to trusting you? He was lucky his friend already knew the scope of your own problems or you would tell Mr. James Buchanan Barnes of the 107th right where he could shove his distrust. 

You sighed angrily and closed your eyes. “You’re not the only one the government . . . disagrees with.” You muttered, trying to throw him a bone. You knew in your head that he had every reason to be distrustful. The two of you had more in common than he could possibly realize. 

Bucky glanced at Sam and then back at you, but nobody said anything. That was all Bucky was getting on the subject. 

Sam sent you a desperate look. The kind that implied that he had nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to. It was a look you were all-too familiar with, having had them a few times yourself. What could you say at that point? They needed you. 

You sighed again. 

“Fine, Wilson.” You said wearily. “But this is the last time.” 

Sam shot you a winning smile. 

Bucky just crossed his arms. 

“Come on, boys.” You said, waving over your shoulder. “It’s not too far a walk.”


	3. Plans

You could feel Bucky eyeing you from the corner of the kitchen as you puttered around, trying to throw together something edible for your unexpected houseguests. You did your best to ignore him, but after months of voluntary solitary confinement, having a super soldier leering over you was getting on your nerves. 

“Just ask it.” You finally said, not looking up from your task. 

Bucky started slightly at the comment but otherwise made no sign of having heard you. 

You sighed. “Come on, Barnes. You’ll feel better if you do.” 

His eyes never left you as you continued puttering around the kitchen, waiting for the inevitable. You knew as much about the former Winter Soldier as anyone else in the world. He had once been a trained HYDRA assassin. He had blood on his hands. Not all of it innocent. But you also knew what others might not. Being a soldier . . . living through the things that he had lived through . . . that changed a person on a fundamental level. It tended to make people more suspicious. Less trusting by nature. Hardened. While you knew that your past was nothing he needed to worry about, he didn’t; and you knew he wouldn’t rest until he’d figured it out. 

“Why are you on the run, doll?” He asked quietly, arms folded across his chest. Though his tense posture hadn’t abated, you were surprised when you glanced up to see a softness in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Almost like he had played judge and jury while your back had been turned and somehow; you had passed. 

You were quiet for a moment, wondering how much you were willing to share with the man. True, your past wasn’t anything terrible. Nothing like what he’d been put through. But it was still darker than most. 

“You know much about what Sam did for a living before he joined the Avengers?” 

He gave a sharp nod. 

You shrugged and fiddled with the spatula in your hands. “I did something similar. Not the same mind you.” You pointed the spatula at Bucky in a threatening manner. “I’m not crazy enough to go jumping off buildings with only a flimsy pair of wings to break my fall.” 

“I heard that!” Sam’s voice echoed through the walls. 

You and Barnes shared a small smile before you went back to flipping the grilled cheese sandwiches on the stove. Your smile faded. “It was one of those things where . . . well . . . we didn’t know exactly what we were getting ourselves into when we signed up.” You shrugged a shoulder. “They changed us. Kind of like how they changed your old friend Captain America. The thing about changes like that is they don’t let them go easily. The government likes keeping tabs on its investments. Once you’re in . . . you’re never really out.” 

You flipped one of the sandwiches onto a plate and held it out to him. He met your eyes as he reached out to take it. You continued. “I didn’t like the idea of being someone else's property. Didn’t like what they thought they could make me do because of it. So, I left. THEY didn’t like THAT.” 

He bit into his sandwich after inspecting it and watched you in silence for a moment. “So, that’s it? You’re going to live the rest of your life on the run?” He asked. 

You sighed and braced your hands on the countertop, ducking your head. The truth was: you didn’t want to. You were so tired of running. So tired of having to look over your shoulder all the time. It was no fun living your life with one-eye open, prepared to abandon ship at the slightest sign of danger. But what else could you do? You refused to go back. Not just because of what they would do to you, but because if they caught any one of you, all of you would be dead within months. You couldn’t do that to the rest of your team. 

“I don't think I have much else of a choice. Unless you guys are willing to hide a wanted fugitive?” You smiled weakly at the man. 

To your surprise, Bucky smiled back at you and finally sat at the bar. “It wouldn’t be the first time.” He said simply. 

You stared at him in shock. His moods were giving you whiplash. You weren’t sure what exactly about your story had won him over, but he seemed to trust you now. He ignored you as he leaned down and bit into his sandwich. For a few minutes, you blindly watched him eat as you processed everything. Eventually, though, he glanced up. 

“You gonna eat anything, doll?” He asked, quirking a worried look in your direction. You nodded slowly and grabbed a sandwich from the pile. 

“So . . .” You cleared your throat. “What’s the plan?” 

Sam chose that moment to walk back into the room. “Plan?” He asked, making himself home in the small kitchen. 

You nodded as you took another bite. “You can’t stay here forever, Tweety bird. Nice as it is to have you here, I don’t trust you not to blacklist this place like you did the last one.” 

Sam shot a glare in your direction. “That wasn’t my fault, and you know it.” 

“Seem to recall a feisty red-head YOU picked up at a bar banging on my door two days later demanding to know where ‘Sammy-whammy’ had gone and why he wasn’t picking up her calls. I had to move, man.” 

Bucky shot an amused look at Sam. “’Sammy-Whammy’?” He laughed. 

Sam closed his eyes in a long-suffering way and braced his hands on the counter. “I thought we agreed we were never going to talk about that again.” He opened his eyes to glare at you. You just shrugged a shoulder innocently. 

Sam glared for another few minutes, no doubt trying to break you, but he was going to have to try a LOT harder than that to get you to fold. You ate your sandwich while he tried as though you didn’t have a care in the world. Eventually, as he always did, Sam folded first and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“WE aren’t going to do anything. BUCKY AND I will figure out our problem. YOU don’t need to get wrapped up in any more government conspiracies. Or have you forgotten?” 

Your eyes narrowed on Sam. “Uh-uh-uh, birdman. My house, my rules. You want to play by yourself, find a different clubhouse to park at in the meantime.” 

Bucky and Sam both glanced at each other and seemed to silently communicate something while you stood your ground. You weren’t going to bend on this. 

They seemed to come to some sort of agreement, but before Sam could say anything else, Bucky perked up and narrowed his eyes at the front door. 

“We’ve got company.” He growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How much you want to bet that "Sammy-Whammy" is going to come back to bite Sam in the ass later?


	4. Problems

All three of you were trained soldiers who’d at one point or another been through hell and back. Nobody questioned Bucky’s words. Instead, you all immediately began pulling weapons from various hidden locations. Bucky and Sam both pulled guns and daggers out of their jackets and jeans. You spun to the broken toaster oven you’d never bothered to replace and pulled out a Glock and a few extra clips. Then, you bent down and ripped the dummy pipe out from under the sink and grabbed the knives and smoke grenades out of it. 

Bucky was watching you intently as you straightened and held a few of the bombs out to them. 

“What?” You asked. 

Bucky sent you a slow burning smirk that made your heart skip a beat. Damn. That man could smile. 

Sam, on the other hand, was sending you a pained grimace. He whispered your name softly. 

“Can it, birdbrain. I’m in it now.” You softened your tone. “Like it or not.” 

Sam looked at you sadly and nodded. There was nothing left to say about that . . . the other thing however . . . 

“That’s three, though.” You said, holding up three fingers for emphasis. Sam looked puzzled for only a second before he realized what you were referring to. He winced. 

“Sorry?” He offered. 

You shook your head exasperatedly and muttered something under your breath about safe houses not being safe anymore. Bucky shot you both an annoyed look. 

“Sorry.” You both mouthed at him. 

As one, the three of you straightened and slowly began moving through the house. Bucky moved towards the front and started peeking through the carefully placed slits in the blinds. Sam slowly creeped up the stairs, looking to gain a more aerial view as was always his preference. You moved slowly towards the unassuming pantry with the small surveillance system built inside. You pulled your specially made jump-drive off the chain around your neck and plugged it into the system. Then, you quickly set to work. 

You hadn’t been lying to Barnes when you’d explained that like it or not, the government wanted you back. They were getting desperate too. Based on internal memo’s you’d found while poking around some of their more sensitive servers; they were willing to do anything to find you and the rest of the surviving members of your old team. People willing to do anything tending to make rash choices that never led to anything good. 

You would know. You were willing to do anything to stay off the radar. 

Lucky for Barnes and Sam; your paranoia was never too far away. Hidden all over the property were various safety measures. You just needed the right time to set them off. 

You watched carefully as the agents began moving forward. You silently took command of your various fail-safes and ordered them to take aim one-by-one. You weren’t going to have a lot of time once you started shooting. You hoped Sam remembered what to do . . . 

Dozens of agents were moving through the woods surrounding the property, guns raised. You took a deep breath, just like you’d been trained and held as you counted slowly to ten . . . then . . . you metaphorically rained hell down upon them. 

Shouts and screams came from outside the house as you struggled to keep all your automated weapons firing at once. Shouts came from inside the house too as Sam realized just what you were up to and came running back downstairs. 

You did your best to ignore all the other sounds, keeping an intense focus on the weaponry under your command but you could feel your limit approaching. 

It started with a shoulder twitch just as Sam made it to the kitchen. Then your fingers started spasming. Sam grabbed your twitching arms and got in your face. You barely even noticed he was there as you kept firing. 

He shouted your name and shook you. “Damn it! Let go! You’ve got to let go!” 

Just as your whole body was beginning to lock up, you released your hold on the weapons. You took a glance through the cam’s and saw another surge of agents moving through the carnage. You had to warn Bucky and Sam. 

“Dan . . . danger . . . dan . . . ger.” Your words were clipped and almost robotic. Your shoulder twitched with each syllable. “M . . . m . . . ore.” 

Bucky ran into the kitchen next and took in your spasming form. He shot Sam a questioning glance, but the Falcon didn’t have time to explain. He shoved you in Bucky’s firm arms. “We gotta move! Get her out of here!” 

Bucky didn’t hesitate as he slung you over his shoulder, keeping one arm pressed tightly against the back of your legs. Your head twitched awkwardly against his back as you watched the real-time surveillance feeds play out across your computer-enhanced vision. You knew the second that Falcon ripped your jump-drive out of the computer because the extra sights vanished as did some of the uncontrollable twitching. You let out a sigh of barely contained relief as your vision returned to the normal patchwork of scrolled code superimposed over your natural sight. 

Sam appeared next to you and Bucky as Bucky carried you out of the back of the house and through the woods. You’d concentrated most of your firepower there, leaving as clean an exit as you could manage. Without a word, Sam swung the bag he’d grabbed around to the front and rifled through it. He pulled out a Fentanyl Patch and peeled it apart before pulling up the sleeve of your arm and slapping it on the skin there. 

Almost instantly, you let out another sigh of relief as the medicated patch slowly started easing the aches in your body and the headache that had already begun forming. You smiled weakly at Sam who smiled tersely back at you. You knew that the second you were in the clear, you were in for a long lecture, but you didn’t regret it. 

You’d escaped after all. 

You ignored the uncomfortable way that the Winter Soldier’s shoulder was digging into your stomach and you let yourself slowly sink into oblivion.


	5. Different

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie . . . this chapter makes me a little nervous. Everything making sense? We all good? Lemme know.

You came to slowly. The patch must have worn off, because your headache had come back with vengeance. You slowly blinked your eyes open and glanced at the code running over your eyes. Systems checks were fine . . . that was good . . . hadn’t caused permanent damage . . . yet. Also, good. 

You let out a breath you hadn’t known you’d been holding and slowly pushed yourself up into a sitting position. You glanced around the dingy room you’d found yourself in. Someone must have found a blanket and pillow somewhere because at least you weren’t laying on the dirty floor. Next to the bed you found another one of your patches waiting for you and you pumped a hand weakly into the hair. 

You carefully put it on your arm and waited patiently for the drugs to kick in. While you waited, you slowly tuned in your other senses until you could hear Sam and Bucky’s hushed, but angry, voices somewhere nearby. 

“What the hell was that?” Bucky was demanding. 

“You should really let her explain . . .” 

“She almost got herself killed.” 

“Not the first time!” Then, quieter; “She knows what she’s doing.” 

The two of them fell silent and you cringed at the reminder. This hadn’t been the first time Sam had seen you like this . . . probably wouldn’t be the last either. You had a tendency to throw yourself into danger first and ask questions later. Still . . . the pain in his tone stung. The downside of your spontaneous die-first attitude was that you didn’t often stop to think about the impact your near-death experiences tended to have on others. 

You sat for a moment, willing the medication to kick in before you slowly pushed yourself to your feet and began staggering towards the sounds of the voices. 

“We shouldn’t have dragged her into this.” Bucky was hissing under his breath. 

“You don’t know her like I do, man. She would have dragged herself into it anyway.” Sam sighed your name in that older brother way that you found at the same time sweet and somewhat insulting. “She’s not like us. She . . . she’s got a good heart. She’s one of the best people I know.” 

You turned the corner just in time to see Sam shrug one of his shoulders as he leaned against one of the decrepit walls. Bucky stood opposite him, arms crossed, angry eyes aglow. 

“We needed her.” Sam said simply. 

“Hell. You still do.” You said as sassily as possible all while trying to make it look like you weren’t using the doorway as a crutch to keep yourself upright. Both men shot you sharp glances. Sam’s frustration bled away as the mother-hen in him took over. A small but warm smile appeared on his face as he pushed off from the wall and came to help you move further into the room. You gave Sam a small smile back before your eyes locked with Bucky’s. There was a tick in his jaw that seemed to scream ‘I want to strangle you’; and the tense way he held himself didn’t lessen the threat brewing behind his body language. Still though, as you looked into his eyes, you couldn’t help but notice the lingering fear there. Nor could you ignore the warmth the spread over you at the thought of this virtual stranger, so battle-hardened and caustic could have been so concerned over you. 

You shot him a small smile too. He didn’t return it, but he didn’t glance away either. You turned back to Sam as the tension got to be too much for you. 

“Tell me the food’s better than the accommodations.” You grinned. 

Sam winced. 

Your smile fell. 

“Please tell me you got food.” You breathed out. 

“About that . . .” Sam started. 

You groaned and leaned your sagging weight even further into Sam, causing him to stumble as he attempted to catch you. “You of ALL people should know that the quickest way to a woman's heart is through her stomach. And after you DESTROYED another safe-house . . . you owe me a good dinner. Or at least some take out that’s edible!” 

“Woman!” Sam said warningly. His ‘scary voice’ only made you grin wider against his shoulder. 

“Technically he didn’t destroy it.” A quiet voice came from behind you. It was low and husky and made you shiver in a way you sincerely hoped Sam hadn’t noticed. 

Bucky was behind you, so you didn’t see the way he frowned at the movement. 

You waved a hand in the air flippantly. “I can never use it again. Ergo, broken. Ergo, destroyed.” 

Sam snorted. “Your definitions haven’t gotten better. You would think being a massive supercomputer you’d be smarter.” He flicked your head gently. 

You weakly smacked his hand away. “Shhhh. You big idiot.” You glanced at the walls knowingly. “The walls have ears.” 

Sam leaned down close to your ear. “Someone has to.” He muttered back. Neither of you heard the sounds of creaking metal coming from the man behind you as he aggressively flexed the arms still crossed over his chest. 

You laughed and shoved Sam away, only to pull him closer when you nearly faceplanted again. Before Sam could properly wrap his arms around you; you suddenly found yourself in the arms of someone else. 

Bucky wasted no time in sweeping you up bridal style. He sent a glare in Sam’s direction. “You should find some food. She needs to eat.” 

Sam’s eyes volleyed between you and his partner before he slowly back away. “Sure. Right. Any requests?” He asked, trying to make a joke but it felt flat in the suddenly tense atmosphere. 

“Chinese sounds good.” You whispered; eyes locked on Sam’s. 

He nodded. “Right . . . right. Chinese it is then. Be back in an hour.” He turned and without another word, fled the hallway leaving you all alone with two-hundred pounds of irate super soldier. 

The silence after Sam fled like a chicken was nothing short of awkward. So, you did what you did best. You made it worse. 

“So, you’re the one who takes care of the damsels in distress when the chickens run away, huh? Well it’s a damn good thing you’ve got all these muscles, then.” You ran a hand up his bicep and down his chest. 

The Winter Soldier had begun walking somewhere with you in his arms after Sam had disappeared but at this, he faltered a step hard enough that he almost dropped you. 

“Whoa there, cowboy.” You said, steadying yourself in his arms. 

Bucky shot you an incredulous look, but you kept your eyes firmly planted on his chin until finally he gave up and started walking with you again. 

“You gonna tell me what happened back there?” Bucky asked after the awkward silence had begun to get painful. 

Though it was phrased like a question, you could hear the seedy undercurrent demanding an answer. You felt it too in the way his arms curled around you in an inescapable embrace and deep down you knew that the Winter Soldier wouldn’t feel safe unless he knew your backstory. You were too much of a wildcard otherwise. A potential threat. You didn’t blame him. If the tables had been turned, you would have felt the exact same way. 

Besides, you figured, Sam already knew. It wouldn’t hurt to let one more in on the secret. 

You stayed silent as Bucky led you through the decrepit building and towards the roof. It wasn’t lost on you the gentle way he helped you find a seat or the worried look he sent you as you pushed yourself closer to the edge and dangled your feet over. He sat next to you, and you sighed. 

“Sam and I met in basic. He told you that part already.” You began. “We didn’t stay together long though. Sam has always had a suicidal tendency to flap his wings. I was better with my feet on the ground.” 

You took a minute to compose your thoughts as you both kept watch over the quiet city. 

“What neither of us knew at the time was that we were being watched.” You chuckled. “I mean, really, we should have guessed . . . governments always like to micromanage their peons. But we didn’t think about it. Once Sam got out . . . he was recruited pretty fast to be a fly-boy. I was put on a different trajectory.” 

Bucky kept his face forward, pretending to keep an eye on the lookout for anyone creeping towards your base. But you knew better. You could see the side-glances he kept shooting your way. 

“I was put into a training program that would have eventually led to me becoming an agent of SHIELD. I was fast-tracked and everything. This was back when SHIELD was still the government’s secret pride-and-joy.” 

You trailed off, lost in the hazy memories of your past. For a long moment you sat there, reliving everything. Thankfully, Bucky’s low voice brought you back. 

“But something happened.” 

You nodded. “Mr. Anthony I-never-knew-his-middle-name Stark happened. They say he was a genius. I suppose that's true. But you know what they say about genius?” 

Bucky shook his head. 

“It’s can’t survive without madness. And that was Tony Stark. Smartest man who ever lived . . . and absolute mad scientist.” 

You heard metal groaning and glanced over to see Bucky’s metal fist tightening into a fist. You glanced up at his face. It was expressionless, but there was something dark in his eyes. 

“He do something to you?” Bucky growled. 

You shook your head quickly. “No. No. Not him. Not directly. His old business partner. Stane.” You took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

“I never had the chance to meet Mr. Stark in person. But from what I understand . . . one night while he was in one of his blackout drunk inventing moods, he schemed up this idea to fix the reaction time problem some of the militaries flight drones had. See, the drones were being flown remotely, but there was always a delay between the drone reporting its findings or transmitting its feeds, the person on the receiving end seeing or interpreting the results and then commanding a reaction. Usually it was just a few seconds delay . . . but in a warzone? That could be life or death. 

“Anyway, Mr. Stark got it in his head that he could eliminate the delay if he could take out the middleman, the interpretation time. He wanted to link up the drones and their human counterparts directly. Which was, in essence, exactly what it sounds like.” 

Bucky sucked in a deep breath and shot you a hard look. You pulled one of your knees up to your chest and wrapped an arm around it, leaning your cheek on your knee. 

“Stark scrapped the plan the next morning. I think he realized how dangerous that kind of information input could do to the human brain but that didn’t mean that Stane didn’t go dumpster-diving for it.” 

You paused for a moment, staring off into the distance and at the never-ending code that scrawled across your vision. 

“Stane sold the half-baked idea to the US government and they ate it up like candy. My team wasn’t the first group to have the implants inserted into our heads. But we made sure we were the last.” 

Your free hand clenched at your side as you were brought back to the pain and torture of having your brain ripped apart and put back together and the pain that hadn’t left you since. The one solace you had was that in the end, Karma had come back for Stane. 

Bucky reached out a hesitant hand and brushed at your cheek. He pulled his hand away and frowned at the moisture he found there. You quickly sat up and brushed away the rest of your tears harshly. 

“The government hasn’t lost sight of me. Or the surviving members of my team. They put the equivalent of a supercomputer in each of our heads. If any of us had any desire to, we could get into any system, hack any database . . . do whatever we wanted really. Not that any of us would. The human brain is a powerful thing on its own. But it’s not really built to multitask like a computer system does. Can’t tell you the number of times I’ve almost killed myself trying to run one too many tasks.” 

You chuckled uneasily, but it died off awkwardly as Bucky glared at you. “You shouldn’t joke about something like that.” He said firmly. 

You sighed and closed your eyes. You were just so tired of it. You couldn't even remember what it was like to be normal anymore. “I wasn’t joking.” You whispered. 

Your eyes slowly opened as you felt Bucky’s hand inching towards yours. The tips of his fingers brushed against the back of your hand. You subtly shifted your weight and flipped your hand so the palm was facing up. Bucky stared at it for a long moment before he slowly slipped his hand in your and squeezed gently. 

Then, you both turned your attention back to look-out duty, content to sit in silence until Sam got back with dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is already falling so in love with Reader. It's beautiful. I think he was sold the second she ripped that fake pipe out of her sink and pulled out a bunch of bombs.


	6. Into the Ether

Sam was not-so-stealthily shooting both you and Bucky very calculating looks as the three of you sat in near silence, eating your dinner. You ignored it by doing something you did so regularly, you almost found a sadistic sort of comfort in it. You tuned into the radio chatter on the top-secret government channels you weren’t supposed to know about. They were always just a wealth of information and had more than once given you just enough of a head-start when dodging those after you. 

Thanks to the microchip in your brain, if you concentrated hard enough, you could hear the voices coming from the radio waves as though the person on the other end was standing right in front of you. You flipped through the channels almost robotically as you slowly shoved food into your mouth. Suddenly, something caught your attention. 

“. . . Barnes . . . Wilson . . . enemies . . . must be app- . . . all costs. Threat to . . . force if necessary.” 

You shot to your feet, your half-eaten chow mein spilling all over the floor as you took off running down the hallway. You needed to get to higher ground. 

You ignored the concerned shouts of your name behind you as you ran through the hallways, desperate to get to the roof. 

“Project Heimdall . . .” Your heart skipped a beat at the name of the project that had cursed you with this ability in the first place and then your heart froze altogether as they whispered your name, clear as day. 

You pushed yourself further and made it back to the section of roof that Barnes had taken you to earlier just in time to hear the rest of the message. 

“Codename ‘Sal-E’ now working with the fugitives. Repeat. Agent Overwatch of Project Heimdall now in league with the Falcon and the Winter Soldier. She should be considered armed and dangerous but do NOT engage. Sal-E must be apprehended ALIVE. Barnes and Wilson should also be considered armed and dangerous. Shoot on sight.” 

You were panting heavily as the message came to an end and the radio abruptly went silent. Your hands ran through your hair nervously as your mind flew through the information, trying to process it. No matter that you had a super-computer in your head . . . it never helped in times like this. 

Heavy footsteps sounded behind you but slowed to a stop as you started pacing around nervously, coming dangerously close to the edge of the roof and back. 

Sam whispered your name and held out a hand as though he was going to pull you in for a hug. You froze and held out a hand, asking for a minute. 

Bucky watched you quietly from the doorway, concern painted on his face despite the mask he’d tried to force down over his features. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest as though he was having to physically restrain himself from reaching for you too. 

You took a few deep breaths and tried to rein in your emotions, falling on the cold, logical side of yourself. The one that processed things in a detached third-person kind of way. 

The facts were simple, really. After years of hiding underground, you’d been brought back into the light. Sam hadn’t meant to do it, but he had. And now here you were. You’d long suspected that the government had left you alone this long because they hadn’t been positive you were still alive. Well, they knew for certain now; and nothing was going to stop them coming for you. 

You turned your back on Sam and Bucky and folded your arms as you stared out at the fading sun. 

Okay. So, they were going to come for you. What else was new? You’d managed to avoid them before. You could do it again. In fact . . . if you weren’t mistaken . . . they still didn’t know HOW you and the surviving members of your team had escaped the first time. You could use that to your advantage. You bit a thumbnail and sighed. 

Your team. 

You needed to get them a message. 

You glanced around the roof and saw a decrepit looking antenna, nearly rusted through, a few feet from you. You nodded to yourself and held out your hand in Sam’s direction. 

“Flash drive.” You whispered. 

Sam shot you a concerned glance but dug through his pocket and handed you your drive anyway. You turned it over in your hands for a few minutes before you nodded again. It had to be done. 

You marched over to the antenna and started fiddling with it. You pulled at the wires and felt the faintest thrum of power beneath your fingertips. It would have to do. You reached into your jacket pocket and pulled the small kit you were never without from the secret lining. You quickly attached the various wires before pulling up the holographic keyboard. 

You felt, more than heard Sam and Bucky slowly step up behind you. 

“Whatcha gonna do, Y/N?” Sam asked gently. You smiled sadly, keeping your back to him. You suspected he already knew, but you said it anyway. 

“I gotta contact the team.” 

“You sure that’s a good idea? You almost got lost last time.” 

You turned your flash drive over in your hands again remembering the last time you’d thrown yourself into the etherverse. But you sighed again. “The government knows I’m involved.” You said quietly. “We’ve stayed under the radar this long because they thought we were dead. If the government knows I’m alive it’s only a matter of time before they find the others. I’ve got to do this, Sam.” 

Sam was silent for a moment before he crouched down and put a comforting hand on your shoulder. “Okay, kid.” He said gently. “Just promise you’ll come back this time. You don’t what to know what happens if I have to come looking for you.” 

Your laugh was watery as you leaned your check against his hand. “Roger that, Captain.” You said, stressing his new title. “I gotta come back anyway. Don’t think you two will last a second on your own. You really screwed up this time.” 

He squeezed your shoulder gently and you wiped the tears from your eyes as you held the flash drive up to the box. “We’ll talk about it when you get back.” He said. 

You turned to the two soldiers behind you. “Whatever happens . . . don’t unplug me.” 

Then you took a deep breath and slammed the flash drive home. 

Bucky ------------------------ 

Your last words were still echoing in Bucky’s head as you pitched forward and collapsed against the roof. 

“Doll?” He called, hurrying to your side. Your head lolled as he gently turned you over. His heart was pounding as he took in the cool white of your eyes. Not a hint of color could be seen. He couldn’t help but shake you, gently. “Doll!” 

Sam placed a hand on his shoulder, but Bucky shook him off. Couldn’t he see that something was wrong with you??? 

“Barnes! Let her go man!” Sam was shouting now, trying to pry Bucky’s hands off the you. 

“What the hell IS THIS?” He demanded, twisting around. It had been awhile since he had felt such blinding fury take over him. It was everything he could do to keep the Soldier inside at bay. Sam was staring at him with that look that reminded him of Stevie. Bucky gently placed your body on the roof before rising to confront Sam. He’d been nothing but a pain in Bucky’s ass since day one and Bucky was ready to wipe that smug smile of his damn face. 

“She’s fine, Barnes. Stand down.” 

Bucky gestured blindly at your unconscious body. “This is fine?!” 

Sam sighed and the fight leeched out of him as he glanced over Bucky’s shoulder at your prone body. “She knows what she’s doing.” He said half-heartedly. 

Red began bleeding into the corners of Bucky’s vision, but he did his best to keep a lid on it. 

“Did she know what she was doing when she shot up those agents at the safe-house? Did she ‘know what she was doing’ when she nearly got herself killed doing it?!” 

Sam rubbed a hand over his face. “You want to try telling a girl like that what she can and can’t do? Barnes . . . she’s a soldier. Same as you. Same as me. She fights to protect. She’ll jump in front of a loaded gun every time. It’s what she does. The more you fight against it, the harder she’ll push back. Sound like anyone you know?” He shot Bucky a look and instantly, Bucky felt the fight go out of him. 

Stevie. You reminded him of Stevie. 

Bucky turned around slowly to glance at you. You looked so helpless. So still. Almost like you were dea . . . No. He wasn’t going to think it. He wasn’t going to lose another friend. 

Bucky started a little at the realization that he did care for you. Trusted you even. In you, he'd found a missing piece of the man he'd once been, and he was suddenly willing to do anything for you. If only you'd open your eyes again. Shoot him one of those weary looks that still managed to hold that spark of flame that said you'd rip anyone apart who dared to try and hurt you or anyone you cared about. 

“What’s she doing?” Bucky asked quietly, trying to draw his thoughts away from his tumultuous feelings. He still wasn’t used to being allowed to deal with them. 

Sam sighed and dropped beside you, smoothing your hair away from your face. Bucky’s fist clenched at his side. Something about seeing Sam touching you so casually made his blood boil. Sam didn’t DESERVE to touch you that way. The way that implied he cared about you more than he should. Especially since Sam had brought this to your door. Bucky didn’t know how you knew, but he hadn’t missed your terrified ‘The government knows I’m involved.’ Bucky had a feeling it would be infinitely worse for you than for them if you were found. You’d done too much to get off the grid. He knew the feeling well. 

Sam gestured at the box you'd attached the TV antenna. “She uploaded herself into the etherverse. Radio waves, the internet . . . anything really. She put herself in the middle of it.” 

Bucky’s eyes widened in shock as he glanced down at your face. He hadn’t realized the extent of your cursed powers and he didn’t like the look on Sam’s face as the man continued. 

“She’s finding a way to send a secure message to her teammates. The other people who can do what she does. I don’t know how many are left now. When they escaped, they scattered to the wind, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. If the government finds her then they can track the others. It’s only a matter of time. She’s gonna warn them and do what she can to bury their tracks further.” 

“But?” Bucky prompted. 

Sam sighed again and glanced up at Bucky, exhaustion marring his face. “But last time I saw her do this . . . she almost didn’t make it back. It’s possible that she’ll get stuck there and never find herself again.” 

Bucky was every ounce the soldier he was at heart when he squared his shoulders and demanded; “What can we do?” 

“Right now?” Sam shrugged a shoulder. “Nothing, really. Keep an eye on her body. Make sure that’s protected. She can’t come back at all if she doesn’t have a body to come back to. If the box starts beeping, she’s in trouble, but without the proper tools, I’m not sure we can do much to help.” 

Bucky nodded his head slowly and glanced out over the sleeping town. “How do you know all this?” He asked. 

Sam was quiet for a long minute before he responded. “After basic we went our separate ways, but we’d always kept in contact. A few years after we’d graduated, I was in Kuwait. I had some downtime and I’d gone to read through my emails. A mutual friend had sent me a link to a news article. ‘Entire unit killed while on active duty’. It was her team. So, imagine my surprise when later that week I got an email from her telling me she hadn’t died. She’d had to go dark. She was in the area, of all places to be, and needed help. Of course, I gave it to her. See, a few of the higher-ups in charge of her experiment gone wrong had showed up at my site. She thought they might be there to scout out new recruits . . . or were looking for her and her team. She was beat to hell and back and needed a place to lay low until she’d recovered enough to get out. I don’t think she would have reached out at all if she hadn’t been so desperate.” Sam sighed and glanced out over the roof. “As far as I know, you and I are the only two people she’s ever told what happened.” 

Bucky was silent as he took everything in and compartmentalized it. Your stories were remarkably similar, and he couldn’t help the ache in his chest when he thought of everything you must have suffered. And you’d done it all alone. Just like he had, at first. 

Looking back on it now, Bucky wasn’t sure he would have survived much longer if Steve hadn’t gone against everyone else and had brought him back. 

“Her family?” 

Bucky felt rather than saw Sam shaking his head. “She won’t say. But I suspect she has someone out there who loved her and who she’s done everything to protect. That would include keeping herself secret. The military was pissed when they lost her team. The supercomputers in each of their heads could topple entire governments if they wanted to. Each of them is a slew of secrets and scandals. I don’t think there’s such a thing as privacy when it comes to them. You can see why they might be a little hesitant to let them wander free.” 

Bucky nodded. That tracked. “So, we keep her safe.” 

Sam nodded and moved to sit beside you, taking a post. “We’ll keep her safe.” He agreed. 

Bucky crouched down and pulled a gun from his jacket, taking up another post on your other side. You wouldn’t have anything else to worry about, he vowed. He’d protect you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty. Getting some more backstory . . . Bucky's starting to realize that he's falling for you . . . All good things. All good things.  
> 
> 
> As a side note- Project Heimdall is so named because what the government was really trying to create with the microchips was an all-knowing super . . . just like Heimdall.


	7. Exits

Half of your attention was pulled to the drone drawing ever closer to the two soldiers standing guard over your unconscious physical form . . . but the rest of your conscious mind was drawn to the messages you were sending out to what few survivors there were left of your team. 

Bastian’s message was the last to come through. “Copy warning. From Rome with Love.” 

Attached was a large file. You read the first two lines of code and immediately tucked it away for later. The drone was almost on top of Bucky and Sam. You had to move. 

The problem with the ether wasn’t that it was too large for you to find your way back. In the modern world, no was truly ‘off the grid’ so finding yourself again had never really been an issue. 

No. The problem wasn’t finding your way back. 

It was wanting to go back in the first place. 

Despite the fast-paced information exchange that existed in the invisible waves all around you, there was a certain peace that you felt floating in the ether, completely plugged into everything. You were in your element here. You were faster than any hacker or programmer. The entire world was at the tip of your fingers. All you had to do was reach out and change it. 

But it wasn’t reality. Not really. And you needed to get back. If for nothing else than to warn the soldiers who didn’t know just how much danger they were in. 

With one last sigh, you pushed yourself through the wires of your box and virtually downloaded yourself back into your body. 

You jackknifed up into sitting position before immediately folding in on yourself, gasping for breath. It was always a shock, the near blinding pain that would overtake as every single neuron in your brain lit up almost in unison. 

Hands reached out to touch you and it was all you could do not to shy away from them. Your skin was overly sensitive as your mind adjusted to having the physical ability to touch again. But this was no time to ease back into all of it. “Agents . . . on their way. Gotta . . . go.” You panted. 

Someone, you thought it might be Bucky, reached down and scooped you quickly into his arms. You squeezed your eyes shut at the painful sensation of being touched and having the wind whip at your exposed skin as he broke into a run. You threw your hands around Bucky’s solid frame and clung to him tighter, trying to ease the jostled motions by practically gluing yourself to his chest. Then you allowed your conscious mind to fade further into the background as you used the chip to pull up the schematics you had cobbled together in the etherverse. 

“Right, right, left, red door, downstairs, cellar door, tunnel entrance.” You muttered. “Go, go go.” 

Your eyes were still squeezed shut as you felt the soldiers follow your directions quickly and succinctly. With their safest route plotted, you pulled your attention to the drone that was chasing you down. It was harder to reach out to the device without your flash drive or an antenna to ground you somewhere solid, but you still managed to tap the devices’ frequency and start scrambling signals. You winced as you took in the network grid. There were at least a few other drones out there, but this one was the closest. You took control of the reigns and sent it spinning off into a wall. The resulting explosion surprised you. 

The damn things were armed. 

“Sending an army.” You mumbled. You weren’t sure what kind of firepower the drones were packing but if they’d been sent after Bucky Barnes, super soldier, it was without a doubt more than enough to kill you. 

You felt Bucky come to a stop and without opening your eyes, searched for the signals from the nearest wifi-connected security cameras. You saw the two of you lurking in the shadows just outside the bar with the red door. 

Sam poked his head back out through the door, motioning Bucky through. It was odd seeing your own body in the soldier's arms from the security cam’s perspective, but you didn’t spend a lot of time dwelling on It. 

“Downstairs.” You murmured. 

The two soldiers slowly began making their way towards the back of the room where the stairs led down. You did your best to pretend to be a sleeping woman in Barnes arms, attempting to draw as little attention as possible. Luckily, it was only twenty minutes to closing and most of the patrons were too sloshed to pay much attention to the men moving through their ranks. 

You grimaced as you watched a nondescript black SUV pull up just outside the bar. “Hurry, hurry.” You whispered. You were running out of time. 

The door to the bar opened behind you and you felt Bucky hunch over you protectively as his footsteps sped up. You needed to buy the soldiers more time. 

You felt yourself start twitching in Bucky’s arms as you kept your hold on the security feeds outside the bar and reached out to grab the SUV’s security. Thank Thor for technology. 

Most cars ran on radio waves or had bluetooth now. Though it wasn’t easy to get into unless you knew what you were looking for, you were able to reach out and grab onto the agent's car signal. You viciously yanked on it causing the cars internal security measures to go haywire. The cars alarms started going crazy and, the government agents, thinking that perhaps the three of you were trying to steal it, rushed outside. 

You had only a minute, maybe two, before they realized what you’d done. 

You felt your body be transferred and felt Sam’s familiar arms wrap around you. 

“Downstairs, cellar door, secret tunnel. I'll hold them off.” Bucky repeated your instructions and you felt him digging through his jacket, most likely for a weapon. Your eyes flew open and even the dim lighting in the bar made a searing pain flash through your head. 

Your hand shot out before you could stop it and you felt blood trickling down your face as you kept an eye on the feed outside even as you took in Bucky’s pale face. You were trying to run too many tasks at once. 

“Too many. Backup. We run.” 

Bucky looked like he was going to fight you on it, but something in your expression must have changed his mind. He glanced past you at Sam. You shook your head. 

“Can’t hold them. Can’t . . . stop . . . GO!” You practically yelled as you watched the agents finish sweeping the car and move back towards the door of the bar. This time, their guns were drawn in front of them. They’d lost all semblance of subtly. They were out for blood. 

With a frustrated growl, Bucky reached over and plucked you out of Sam’s arms, once again cradling you protectively against his chest. Your eyes once again slipped shut, and the pounding in your head eased a fraction. 

You sighed as your heated check leaned against the cool of his metal arm. 

Your relief was expanded as the three of you sunk into the cool of the basement. 

The two men paused for a moment, glancing around. “Corner.” You grit out. 

The almost immediate sound of a table screeching across the stone floor made me you want to cry, but you managed to keep it together. 

“Tunnels.” You breathed. 

The sound of a trapdoor opening was quickly followed by Bucky handing you down to Sam. A moment later, you were back in Bucky’s arms. 

You heard Sam fiddling with the trapdoor above you, doing his best to cover your tracks. 

Bucky’s head bent down, and his stubbly face brushed your cheek. “Where to next, doll?” He whispered gently. 

“North till the end of the line.” You whispered. 

Bucky’s breath hitched and he cradled you even closer to his chest for a moment, a movement that caused your heart to flutter faintly. 

You could have sworn you felt something soft brush your forehead, but you were too tired to ask about it. You needed a nap . . . just a quick one . . . 

You were out before Bucky took the first step. 

Bucky---------------- 

“North till the end of the line.” You'd whispered. Bucky’s breath hitched as his thoughts were pulled to memories of his friend. Sam shot him a sympathetic glance that Bucky did his best to ignore. For a moment, he pulled you closer to his chest as feelings of tenderness flowed through him. He didn’t know what it was, but he was drawn to you. It almost felt like the two of you had been made for one another and he couldn’t resist the urge to hold you tight and never let you go. 

Almost as though he couldn’t help himself, his head bent down and he pressed his lips gently against your forehead. For a moment, he watched you as the pain slowly eased from your face and your breathing evened out. You were asleep. 

Bucky looked at your pale face in the dark tunnel. “Till the end of the line.” He whispered, making you a promise that even you with a supercomputer in your head wouldn’t fully be able to understand. 

Then he turned and started following Sam down the tunnel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, now THIS chapter has had the most rewrites to date. It. Was. A. Mess. I swear the perspectives were changing faster than I could keep up. First person to third person to first again. Geez. Don't know what happened there.
> 
> Plus, originally, most of the chapter was from Bucky's POV, which was great. But I kind of like this better. Seeing more of how readers unwanted powers affect her so drastically. It's what I'd like to call . . . foreshadowing. Dun-dun-duuuuuuuuh!
> 
> What are you guys thinking about it so far? We any ideas of were this is going? Or any requests? Feel free to leave a comment!


	8. Escape

The gentle swaying slowly woke you up. For a minute, your disoriented mind scrambled for purchase. You didn’t remember having gotten on a boat . . . 

Your eyes fluttered open and you blinked hard, trying to clear your blurry vision. It took a minute, but slowly, a strong jaw and a stubbled face came into view. Bucky. 

“I can walk.” You whispered, ducking your head as a blush coated your cheeks. You felt Bucky’s head snap down to look at you. For a moment, he seemed to pull you even closer to his chest but then he slowly eased you to your feet, keeping a hand on your elbow as your legs got used to holding your weight again. 

Everything ached. 

You ignored the whispers of pain as you glanced at the code running across your vision. Sam had realized that you two weren’t following anymore and had doubled back. 

“Gave us another scare there, kid.” Sam laughed as he took your face in his hands and tilted it from side to side as though looking for something. 

Distantly, you remembered the blood that had been dripping down your face at some point and you reached up a sleeve as you distractedly wiped at the dried blood on your face. 

“I’m fine.” You said. 

You were so focused on the information scrawling across your vision, you missed the look that the two soldiers gave you. 

“Sure, ya are, Y/N.” Sam said hesitantly. He paused for a moment before he continued. “Whatcha lookin’ at?” 

“Systems diagnostics . . . security protocols . . . hey, you grabbed my box and my flash drive, right?” 

You finally pulled away from the information always scrawling past your eyes and turned to Sam. His arms were crossed over his chest and his mouth was pressed into a tight line, but he nodded once. 

“Great.” You glanced at the two of them, unable to figure out where the tense air in the tunnel was coming from as you casually slipped your hands into your jacket pocket. “Well . . . let’s go.” You said awkwardly 

You turned and started moving down the tunnel again. 

“Wait.” 

“Hold on a minute.” Two voices echoed out behind you. A hand reached out and snagged your bicep, spinning you around to face the two of them again. 

Both of them looked pissed. 

You gulped. 

Bucky released his hold on your arm and glanced at Sam as though waiting for him to go first. 

Sam let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t think we should keep doing this . . .” He murmured. 

You felt your brow furrow in confusion. “Keep doing what? Escaping?” 

Sam sighed again and bent his head back to stare at the ceiling as though asking heaven what he’d done to deserve this hell. If you weren’t so genuinely confused by it all, you would have found it kind of funny. 

“What I think he’s trying to say, is I think this is where the three of us should part ways.” Bucky said tightly. 

You started before you crossed your own arms over your chest, your eyes narrowing on the two former Avengers. If they thought for one second that they were ditching you now . . . they had another thing coming. 

You opened your mouth to say as much but Sam cut you off. “You’ve done more than enough, Y/N. Really. I don’t . . .” Bucky nudged his shoulder. Sam shot him a glare. “WE don’t want to see you get hurt.” 

“Seriously?” You asked, your tone dangerously low. 

Sam had the good sense to glance around the tunnel nervously. Bucky stood his ground. 

“You didn’t see yourself back there . . .” Bucky started. 

You held up a hand. “Actually, I did.” You cut him off. You pointed a finger at your temple. “Supercomputer, remember? I was watching the security feeds the whole time.” 

The two soldiers blinked at you and you sighed. “Look, fellas . . . I appreciate the concern. I do. But lemme tell you right now that ditching me here isn’t going to solve anything. I can promise you I’ll be in a lot more danger if the three of us cut and run now than I will be if we stick together. You need me.” You emphasized the last point, willing them to believe it. 

For a minute the two soldiers regarded you before they turned and shot each other a look. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes as they communicated almost telepathically. Finally, Sam turned back to you. 

“I don’t think . . .” He started. 

You shook your head, infinitely gratefully for the bit of digging you’d started in the etherverse and had kept your supercomputer looking into while you were out. 

“John Walker.” You said. The two soldiers froze in their tracks. “That name mean anything to you?” Of course it did. He was the man the US government had chosen as Steve Rogers successor despite the retired Captain America’s best efforts to turn the shield over to your friend. 

“How did you . . .” Sam started. 

You tapped your temple again, impatiently. “Supercomputer . . . remember? Look, we don’t have time to go into specifics. I suspect that ‘little disagreement’ you had with the government was over John Walker and I don’t see you . . .” Here you looked pointedly at Sam. “. . . breaking up with your bosses just because you weren’t willing to take orders from a new Cap’. You must suspect that he’s working with HYDRA.” 

Bucky had an almost visceral reaction to that. He took a menacing step towards you but one look from you stopped him in his tracks. “What do you know about that?” 

You sighed and threw your hands up in the air. “I’m not sure how many more times we can go over this, guys. Super. Computer.” You tapped your head one last time. “I know everything.” 

You glanced down the tunnel, back the way you’d come. Your eyes glazed over slightly as you started reading code again. Something was wrong. You could feel it. 

“Look.” You said distractedly. “We don’t have time to go into the specifics of what I know and how I know it. Just suffice it to say that John Walker isn’t capable of playing double agent. He’s a good man. Just a little oblivious to what’s going on around him. That’s why he was chosen. He might be trying to fight the good fight but his handlers aren’t. They wanted a Captain America who wouldn’t ask questions. One that wasn’t going to be such a wildcard. I don’t have proof yet, but it's not looking good.” you trailed off wondering about the wisdom in the sharing this next part, but instinct told you that your theory was almost certainly right, so you pushed forward. “I suspect Walker is being ordered around by a guy named Helmut Zemo.” You didn’t have to look at Bucky to know his face had paled several shades. Your heart ached for him and the pain and fear he must be feeling, but you didn’t have time to offer any comfort. 

“We gotta move.” You called out suddenly. You turned tail and started running north. Your steps were uneven and slow, and it didn’t take long for the two men to catch up. Without warning, an arm wrapped around your waist and hefted you over a shoulder and you began moving faster down the tunnel. 

“We being followed?” Sam asked, jogging behind you. 

“Drones.” You responded. “Armed.” 

Bucky and Sam cursed, and Bucky’s pace increased, sending you bouncing uncomfortably against his shoulder. 

You muttered strings of random information under your breath as you reached out and once again starting hacking into the drones without use of your flash drive. The blood started dripping from your nose faster this time and you realized that you were quite literally wearing yourself out. You weren’t sure how much longer you could go on like this, but still, you didn’t stop. 

You placed your hands on either side of your temples and closed your eyes, concentrating on locating the wavelengths of the drones chasing you. Once you had the wavelength locked down you used your brain to hack into the drones mainframe. A searing pain shot through your head, but you ignored it as you took control of each of the drones one by one and sent them careening into the walls. 

Each drone had been loaded with enough ammunition to take down a small army and caused very satisfying explosions as they impacted. 

As the last one was slammed into a wall, you were forcefully ejected from the wavelength you’d been ‘riding’. Your eyes flew open and you took in huge lungful's of air as you wiped a sleeve against your bleeding nose. 

Sam was watching you with an unidentifiable look. “That the last of ‘em?” He managed to ask after a moment. 

You nodded and placed a hand against your aching head. He silently pulled the backpack on his back forward as he kept pace with Bucky beside you and reached in, pulling another pain patch out its depths. You wasted no time in slapping it on you and sighed in relief as the drugs worked their magic. 

“For now. It won’t take long for them to figure out it was me though. I have a very tell-tale sign I didn’t have time to cover. We need to find somewhere to lay low and make a plan. Maybe find some backup. If we’re going to expose Zemo we’re going to need all the help we can get.” 

You felt Bucky’s hands wrap more firmly around your legs, keeping you in place despite the fast pace he’d set. Sam grimaced. “I might know a place.” He said. 

You shot him a weak glare. “Hope you don’t wreak it like the last place.” You teased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Bucky. Poor, poor Bucky. Never quite managing to outrun his demons. And freaking HYDRA. They're like cockroaches. Never can quite get rid of them.
> 
> Thanks for bearing through the rewrites guys. Luckily, we've made it through and now it should be smooth sailing till the end.


	9. Hideout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been flakier than a well-made croissant while writing this. I know it. And I KNOW I just promised YESTERDAY that I'd be posting MWF, but screw it. I had a sudden burst of inspiration last night and spent all of it wrapping this beauty up. So! Flakiness aside, I'm about to daily dump my creation upon your heads. I hope you don't mind. ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading. 
> 
> I love you all.

You managed to stay conscious this time, which all things considered, you decided to take as a win. Still, even with your patch, your head was aching with vengeance. You did your best to ignore it and keep the soldiers from noticing. You knew without a doubt in your mind that if they even once suspected that you were struggling, they wouldn’t hesitate to leave you behind. 

The three of you approached an innocent looking house in the middle of a standard suburban neighborhood. You were once again walking on your own two legs, though you had your arms wrapped around one of Bucky’s, doing your best to play the part of happy couple as Bucky did his best to keep you upright. 

Sam reached out a hand, keeping his head down and knocked on the door. The three of you sent nervous glances up and down the sidewalk. You hadn’t detected any security cameras on the street, but that didn’t help shake the feeling that the three of you were being watched. Most likely a paranoia built in after too much time playing fugitives. 

The door swung open a moment later and a beautiful blonde stared back at you. 

“Hey Sharon.” Sam said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. 

Sharon crossed her arms over her chest and sent a glare at both the soldiers. Surprisingly, you felt even Bucky shuffle uncomfortably under her menacing gaze. You glanced up and shot her a weak smile. You had a feeling you were going to like her. 

Her eyes softened as they met you and she gestured the three of you into the house. “See they roped someone else into another one of their messes.” She said as you passed. 

You smiled again but were afraid it came off as more of a grimace. “More like we all dragged each other into our separate messes.” You held out a hand for her to shake. “I’m Y/N.” 

Sharon’s eyes quirked a bit and you had a sinking feeling that name meant something to her. No doubt she’d been listening into the radio chatter about you. 

She reached out and shook your hand as you shot Sam a subtle look. He nodded imperceptibly and you decided to go along with things for now. Sam was a good judge of character. If he trusted her, you could too. 

Another wave of pain shot through your head and you held a hand up to it as you hissed. Bucky was at your side in the next moment, grabbing your shoulders gently and peering into your eyes. 

“Doll?” He asked. 

You shook your head. “Just need to lay down for a minute.” You managed to get out. You turned to Sharon. “I hate to bother you, but do you have somewhere dark I can hole up?” 

Sharon had a compassionate look of concern on her face as she nodded. “Yeah. Follow me.” 

You moved to follow, but Bucky was still holding your shoulders. You reached up a hand and patted him on the chest. “Really, I’ll be fine. Just a headache.” You smiled up at him, but you could see the doubt brewing in his eyes. Still, he released your arms and you followed Sharon down the hallway. 

She opened a door at the end and proceeded you inside. She pulled dark curtains over the windows and pointed at a bed. “Make yourself at home.” She said gently. “There’s a fan in the closet if you need one and Tylenol in the medicine cabinet through here.” She opened a door to reveal a private bathroom. You thanked her quietly and she left the room quickly, shutting the door behind her. 

You eased your tired body onto the bed and closed your eyes, letting the peace and quiet wash over you and slowly began repairing what little damage you could to your brain. 

Bucky--------------- 

Sharon slipped out of the room and headed back towards Bucky and Sam. The expression on her face didn’t bode well for either soldier. “Anybody want to tell me what the hell happened to that poor girl?” She demanded. 

Bucky and Sam exchanged nervous glances. 

Sam cleared his throat. “Well . . . that’s Y/N . . . remember, babe? I told you about her?” 

Sharon nodded. “Yeah. You did. Your old buddy from basic. What you didn’t tell me was that your Y/N is the same Y/N that was involved in Project Heimdall. The entire United States Government is after her.” Sharon hissed. 

Bucky tensed. “You gonna turn her in?” He couldn’t help but ask. 

Sharon shot him a venomous glare. “Of course not. I’m kind of offended you’d even ask.” 

A weight Bucky hadn’t realized he’d even been carrying seemed to fall from his shoulders, but he didn’t say anything else. You would be safe here. 

Sharon turned on Sam again. “What’s wrong with her?” She asked, moving towards the living room and taking a seat. 

Sam shook his head and bit his lip. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen her like this before. I think she might be pushing herself too hard.” 

Bucky’s heart skipped a beat and he turned his head to stare at the hall you’d disappeared down. 

“What have you been making her do?” Sharon asked. 

Sam shot her a look. “We haven’t been MAKING her do anything.” 

Sharon didn’t seem to believe him. 

Sam sighed again. “Look. It’s not my fault I attract self-sacrificing idiots.” 

Bucky leveled him a glare, but Sam just shrugged his shoulder. “What, man? It’s true.” 

Sharon sighed and leaned back in her chair. “Rope me in. What’s going on?” 

Bucky was the one to answer her this time. “John Walker. We have reason to believe he’s being manipulated.” He nodded his head down the hall in your direction. “She says he’s probably working for Zemo, though Walker probably doesn’t know it yet.” 

“She figure all that out on her own?” Sharon asked, a knowing glint in her eyes. 

Bucky’s shoulders tensed. “She’s not working for Zemo if that’s what you’re asking.” 

Sharon shook her head. “You know that’s not what I mean.” 

Sam interrupted before Bucky could say anything else. “We’re all on the same side here.” He reminded them both. He turned to Sharon. “How do you know about her?” He asked. 

“They’ve got every known government agency and a few no one knows about on the look-out for her and for both of you for that matter. I got curious to see who you two were running with and did a little digging. Most of what they have on her is redacted. It’s like they tried to bury Project Heimdall altogether. But too many people knew about it. She’s got a lot of people gunning for her.” 

Bucky shifted uncomfortably on his couch. His hands clenched in his lap and he had to physically resist the urge to reach into his jacket and start checking his weapons. He’d be damned if he let anyone get to you. 

“Look, babe. I didn’t want to drag you into this . . .” Sam started. But Sharon interrupted him. 

“Well, I’m in it now. What can I do to help?” 

Bucky snorted quietly at just how familiar the words were. He had a feeling that you and Sharon were going to be thick as thieves by the end of this. 

“We need to expose Zemo and whatever plot he might have cooked up.” Sam started. “I have a feeling that he’s got a lot of feelers out there. No doubt there’s an entire ring of government officials all caught up in this. We need to expose all of them.” 

Sharon pursed her lips and thought things through for a minute. “You can have access to my CIA files, obviously. Though with your girl here, you probably don’t need that . . .” She pondered it for another minute. 

“The hard part is going to be revealing any of it without giving away your locations. I don’t think they’d kill either of you . . . you’re too prominent in the public eye. People would notice if you suddenly disappeared off the face of the earth. Your girl on the other hand . . .” 

Bucky’s face hardened. “It won’t come to that.” He said. 

If either Sharon or Sam were surprised by his vehement tone, neither of them said anything. 

“We should really wait for Y/N. She knows more than the rest of us put together.” Sam said finally, glancing at Sharon. 

She nodded and pushed herself up from her chair. “Sounds like a plan to me.” She moved out of the room and headed towards the kitchen. “Either of you two boys hungry?” She called. 

Sam smirked and followed her out of the room. “Depends what you’re serving, baby!” 

Bucky sat in the living room, alone, and wondered just how all of this was going to play out. He rubbed his chest unconsciously as a bad feeling took root. For some reason . . . he just couldn’t imagine this playing out in their favor. Not to mention, the thought of Zemo getting anywhere near you . . . 

The gears in his arm groaned as his fist clenched tight. 

He wouldn’t let it happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Sharon is definitely going to be playing a big role in the new series. That's been confirmed. The rumors are that they're going to make her Bucky's love interest and I gotta say . . . I don't love that.
> 
> Now I love Sharon. I think they did her dirty by putting her with Steve (who, let's be honest, made more sense with Nat or Bucky even); so, I'm excited to see her again. But I don't like her with Bucky because I feel like Bucky deserves to find happiness outside of his friendship with Steve. Especially since Steve kinda . . . ya know . . . bails on him.
> 
> Sam and Sharon on the other hand . . . now that one seems more believable to me. It can be a beautiful parallel if Disney plays their cards right. Captain America and his strong Carter lead. 
> 
> I ship it.
> 
> What do you guys think about it?
> 
> In other news . . . Reader doesn't look to be doing so hot. Wonder how that's gonna play out . . . 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!


	10. Plans (Reprised)

The smell of food cooking finally pulled you out of your thoughts and you sat up, blinking slowly. 

It had been about an hour since Sharon had showed you to the room and though you’d been hard at work trying to repair the damage to the chip in your brain, you hadn’t been able to get much done. Unfortunately, the thing was starting to wear out and you weren’t sure what would happen if you fried it completely. It had been in your head for too long and your brain had practically incorporated it into its basic functions. If the chip died, you weren’t sure just how much of your body would stop working altogether. 

You swallowed hard and pushed the thought away. You’d known you were a ticking time bomb from the moment you’d woken up after the first surgery. Hell, the military doctors had told you to your face that your odds of surviving the first six months were almost nil. It was frankly a miracle you’d lasted this long. 

You rubbed a hand over your face and briefly thought back at everything you’d been through and you came to an important conclusion. 

You didn’t regret any of it. 

With that in mind, you pushed yourself off the bed and moved quietly into the hall. 

You followed your nose until you found the kitchen and smiled at the scene that greeted you. 

Sam was playfully fighting Sharon for the right to the cooking spoon she was waving in the air. Bucky was sitting at the bar, a light smile on his face as he dug into the food on his plate. It was all so . . . normal and for the first time since the soldiers had shown up in your life, you saw what living as Avengers must have been like for them. 

There was a brief pang of jealousy and pain in your chest as you remembered what it was like to live with and work with a team by your side. But you ruthlessly shoved it aside. You’d just decided less than five minutes ago that you didn’t regret any of it. Now wasn’t the time to start rethinking that. 

You sidled into the kitchen and took a seat next to Bucky who shot you an unreadable expression. 

“Are they always like this?” You asked, smirking as you watched Sam dip Sharon low and kiss her. 

Bucky nodded and turned back to the show. “Yeah. You get used to it after awhile.” 

Sam pulled Sharon back upright and gave her a smoldering smirk before turning to you. “Hey, kid. Eat up.” He slid a plate of food in front of you and handed you a fork. You smiled back. 

“We’re the same age, dumbass.” You said lovingly. 

Sam laughed. “Whatever you say . . . KID.” 

Sharon watched the exchange with a smirk on her face. “One of these days, you’ll have to tell me about all the trouble Sam got into back in the day.” She said, looking at you. 

Your fork froze halfway to your mouth and a shit-eating grin spread across your lips. Sam’s expression turned nervous. “I would love that.” You said. 

You took a few bites of food and moaned in delight before shoveling the rest down like you hadn’t eaten in days. “This is so good!” You exclaimed, ignoring the startled looks from everyone else in the room. 

Within minutes your plate was cleaned. “You . . . uh . . . want some more?” Sharon offered. 

You shook your head. “No, thank you. I will take some water though, if you don’t mind.” 

The tension in the air slowly dissipated as Sam reached over and pulled a glass out of one of the cupboards and filled it for you. He handed it to you without a word and then dished himself up a plate of food. 

While the rest of the room ate in silence, your eyes glazed over, and you pulled up the extra information that your program had dug up on Zemo and John Walker. 

You could feel everyone’s eyes watching you curiously, but you did your best to ignore it; instead focusing on piecing together what little you could. 

Eventually, the rest of the rag-tag team finished their meals and pushed their plates away from them. Sam and Bucky exchanged a look and Bucky nodded. 

Sam turned to you. “Alright, kid . . . what are we looking at.” 

You all found yourself in the living room again as you laid everything out. 

“There’s not a lot I could find.” You admitted. “Zemo’s good at covering his tracks. I suspect he’s gotten a lot better since the last time any of you had a run-in with him.” 

Your eyes glazed over again. “He’s not perfect though. He messed up. He’s roped too many people in. As far as I can tell, literally everyone currently involved with Project Freedom are involved with HYDRA in one way or another. From what I can tell, he’s trying to start a new faction.” Sam, Bucky and Sharon all cursed and you couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment. 

“What’s his plan?” Bucky asked. 

You shook your head. “I haven’t uncovered anything concrete, yet.” You said, as you cocked your head and skimmed through the data. “From what little I have seen . . . I think they plan on using Walker as a figurehead and recruiter. Steve gained a lot of trust from the American people. Even after the whole . . . fugitive situation.” You winced in sympathy as Bucky and Sam grimaced. 

“I think they plan on using Walker to garner recruits. Once they have the recruits, I suspect they plan on resurrecting the Winter Soldier project.” 

“What?” Bucky’s voice was low and threatening and cut you to your core. 

You snapped out of your daze and glanced at him. He was glaring at the floor, arms crossed over his chest, jaw clenching. 

You wrung your hands together, helplessly. “It’s just a theory . . .” You started. 

“But it’s probable.” Sam finished. 

You nodded. 

Sharon glanced at the three of you and then asked the burning question. “So, what are we going to do to stop it?” 

You shot her a grateful smile. 

“Here’s what I know.” You started. “Walker is going to be officially announced to the American people tomorrow morning. Zemo will be there. Up till now he’s managed to keep his face more or less out of the public spotlight, but I think he’s getting desperate. 

“We need to stop both sides of this. If Zemo even sees a hint of our involvement, he’s no doubt got a suicide switch somewhere which will send the rest of his ringleaders after us. We won’t stand a chance.” 

“They’ve been after us till now and we’ve done arlight so far.” Sam pointed out. 

You shook your head. “Think of all this as a distraction. We haven’t seen the full weight of what he can throw around just yet.” 

Sam nodded. 

“What we need to do is get Zemo out of there. Distract him somewhere else. If his attention is off Walker, then we can switch him out.” 

“What do you mean?” Sharon asked. 

“We’re going to use the public to our advantage. The government will be hard pressed to say that Sam isn’t the new Captain America when he has the full backing of the previous Captain America AND has been introduced as such at a live broadcast being put on by the government themselves.” 

“Why’s that so important?” She asked. You sent her a confused look, wondering why she’d question your motives of giving her boyfriend his rightful dues, but she titled her head in Sam's direction. Your eyes tracked the movement and saw Sam was staring at the floor with a sad sort of expression on his face. You understood. 

Ever since you’d met the man, he’d loved Captain America. Though he’d rarely admit it, Captain America had been a big part of what had inspired Sam to enlist in the first place. To have worked with his idol for the past few years must have been a dream come true and when Steve had passed on the shield to him . . . well . . . 

But just like that, everything came crashing down around him. No one had WANTED him to be the new Captain. Maybe it was a race thing . . . or maybe it was a pride thing. It didn’t matter because the reaction was the same and it had made Sam feel unworthy to bear the shield that was rightfully his. 

Sharon was asking you to put Sam’s fears to rest and you were more than happy to do it. 

“It’s important because Captain America is a symbol for all that’s good in this country. He sticks up for the little guy. Always has, always will. It might not seem like a big deal to some. But it’s a big deal to all those little guys out there.” 

Sam glanced up at you and you smiled at him gently. “I know it probably doesn’t count for much, Cap’ . . . but if we’re throwing votes out, mine goes to you. Every time.” 

Sharon sent you a grateful smile and nodded in agreement when Sam turned to look at her. 

“I agree with Y/N.” Bucky said, shocking Sam. “Steve was a punk. But he was a good judge of character. He knew what he was doing. Besides, he’d try to kick my ass if he found out I’d let someone else take your shield and I don’t want the old man hurting himself.” 

The four of you smiled at the image before Sam turned to you again with a serious look on his face. 

“So, to sum up: We need to distract Zemo and get him away from the ceremony, kidnap Walker and leave him tied up in a closet somewhere and then get me on camera. All without anyone figuring out what we are up to. That sound about right?” 

You nodded. 

"Great.” Sam muttered sarcastically. “Should be a piece of cake.”


	11. Into the Belly of the Beast

The four of you had stayed up late into the night working on a plan before shuffling off to bed. 

Far too soon, your alarm was going off and the four of you were meeting back in the living room. 

“Everyone have their assignments?” Sam asked, checking his weapons. 

The three of you nodded. 

Sam copied the gesture. “Great. Wheels up in five.” 

He and Sharon left the room, murmuring quietly to themselves, leaving you and Bucky alone. 

You approached Bucky carefully. Of all the ways this plan could go horribly wrong, it was Bucky’s part of it that worried you the most. 

The soldier’s movements seemed almost robotic and rehearsed as he strapped his weapons to his person and reached down to slip on a thick overcoat, hiding them all. 

“Bucky?” You asked quietly, waiting for him to look up at you. “Are you going to be okay?” 

Bucky’s movements stilled and for a moment the two of you just looked at each other. 

Eventually, he nodded. Slowly. “I’ll be fine, doll.” 

You bit your lip, staring at him with obvious distrust in your eyes. He smiled weakly. “That worried about me, huh?” 

You laughed, quietly. “Maybe we should switch jobs . . .” You started. 

He shook his head quickly. “I don’t want you . . . any of you anywhere near Zemo. Leave him to me.” 

“But . . .” 

Bucky’s hands shot out and grabbed yours, pulling you close. Your heartrate skyrocketed as you took in his serious expression. His eyes stayed glued to your hands, slowly stroking his thumb up and down in a reassuring pattern. 

“He can’t hurt me.” He started. “Shuri . . . she took the trigger words out. They can’t do anything to me anymore.” 

Your heart broke a little as he seemed to have to try and convince himself of that. You slipped one of your hands free from his grasp and reached up to cup the side of his face. 

“Maybe not . . .” You whispered. “But they can hurt you all the same.” 

Bucky smiled at you. A blinding smile that made your heart soar. He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to your forehead. “Thanks for worrying, doll. But don’t. I’ll be fine. I promise.” 

And just like that, he was gone. 

You raised a hand to your forehead and lightly touched the skin where his lips had just been. To your surprise, you realized you were blushing. 

Before you had too much time to chase after the super soldier, Sam popped his head in the room. 

“Ready to go?” He asked, eyeing your face suspiciously. 

You nodded and quickly pushed past him and headed towards Sharon’s garage. You’d have to track down your super soldier after all this was over. 

Bucky ---------------- 

Before he could stop himself, Bucky leaned down and pressed his lips to your forehead. Your clear concern for him had unfrozen a piece of his hardened heart in a way that he hadn’t expected and for the first time in a long time he allowed himself to hope that one day, he might be able to have something like what Sam and Sharon had found together. 

First thing, first, though. He had a job to do. 

The small smile that had appeared on his face faded and he nodded at Sam as he moved to Sharon’s front door and slipped outside. While you, Sam and Sharon had agreed to deal with Walker, Bucky had insisted on taking on Zemo. Alone. 

He started walking down the street, ignoring any looks he got. He had a few minutes to get to the supermarket a few blocks away where a car was waiting for him. 

A long time ago, Zemo had promised Bucky that one day Bucky would come crawling back to him. He’d given Bucky a way of contacting him and made sure that it was one of the few things Bucky would never forget. Thanks to your abilities, you'd been able to remotely get in contact with Zemo on Bucky’s behalf without risking Zemo tracking anything back to the rest of you. 

Though it was a risk to contact the madman now, so close to the new Captain America inauguration, the whole team had agreed that this was their best bet. Zemo couldn’t be at the ceremony or all hell would break lose. That was the one thing you could promise them with certainty. 

So, Bucky would face his fears. If only because the thought of sending anyone else to Zemo’s door nearly sent Bucky’s heart galloping out of his chest. 

Bucky rounded the corner and saw a nondescript car waiting with your average looking goon standing sentinel. He took one last deep breath and steeled his nerves for what was to come. Zemo couldn’t hurt him anymore, he reminded himself. His name was James Buchanan Barnes of the 107th. He’d fought in World War II. He’d survived decades of torture and abuse and he’s come out stronger for it. He had friends who would fight for him and . . . his mind flashed to your face . . . someone he was very anxious to get back to. 

He wouldn’t fail. 

Bucky stepped out of the car and walked slowly to the lone man standing in the field, staring out over the pristine lake with something akin to a smile on his face. 

“Ah. The Winter Soldier. Finally, back where he belongs.” Zemo said. 

Bucky sneered. “I don’t belong to you anymore.” He spit. 

“Is that not why you’ve returned?” Zemo asked, turning to face him. “I thought you’d finally come to your senses. Recognized that this world will never take you back. Not after everything you’ve done.” 

Bucky had to consciously remind himself that it was a lie. He’d done good in his time as an Avenger. He’d helped people. Sure, some were still skittish. Maybe they always would be. But there was more than enough support to go around. The Winter Soldier would always be feared but Bucky was more than just a mindless soldier now. The people could see that. 

“It’s time to end this.” Bucky said. 

Zemo smiled darkly. “You think so, do you? You think you’ve finally escaped HYDRA’s grasp? Hmm? Shall we test it? Longing.” 

At the sound of the first trigger word, Bucky reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun. 

“Rusted.” Zemo continued. 

Bucky’s hand shook as he raised the gun to Zemo’s head. 

“Seventeen.” 

Your voice filled his head. ‘Maybe not. . . but they can hurt you all the same.’ 

“Daybreak.” 

Bucky cocked the gun. 

“Furnace.” 

Zemo’s grin slipped slightly. 

“Nine.” 

Bucky did his best to keep his shit together. 

“Benign.” 

He took a deep breath even as his finger itched to pull the trigger. 

“Homecoming.” 

Bucky fought to keep from twitching. 

“One.” 

He wasn’t that monster anymore. 

“Freight car.” 

An echoing silence filled the crisp air as Zemo finished. Bucky’s heart was galloping in his chest, but he made no outward sign to convey his distress. For a moment, the stared at one another and then, faster than the human eye could track, Bucky released the clip from his gun and watched it drop to the ground. 

“I don’t do that anymore.” He murmured, turning a glare to Zemo. 

Zemo stared down at the clip, lying innocently in the grass. He had a strange expression on his face, one that Bucky didn’t trust for an instant. 

Zemo looked back up at him. “I can’t say I’m not disappointed.” He finally said. “All that work, wasted.” He shrugged a shoulder and clasped his hands behind his back. “But it doesn’t matter. In the end, you’re not the prize I’m after anymore.” 

Bucky’s heart froze in his chest. 

“Tell me, Soldier; how can a man lose his heart even when it still beats in his chest?” 

Bucky’s jaw clenched and every worst-case scenario his brain could possibly conjure up flew through his mind. 

Zemo leaned closer and his voice dropped to a whisper. “When those he loves are lost.” Zemo leaned away, a sadistic smirk on his face. “Looks like you chose the wrong villain to chase, Asset.” 

Bucky reared back and punched Zemo in the face so fast, Zemo never saw it coming. The psychopath dropped the ground like a ton of bricks, but Bucky was already racing for the car. He grabbed the driver out of the driver's seat and threw him to the ground before he peeled out and took off back towards town. 

One thing was on his mind; you were in danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback. I need it.
> 
> Yay? Nay? 
> 
> What are we thinking?


	12. Captain America

A dull pounding sound slowly brought you back to awareness and you rubbed your aching head. You pushed yourself up and glanced around cell and cursed. You hadn’t seen it coming. 

You glanced out the glass panes surrounding you and saw Sam and Sharon locked in separate cells across from you. Sam was pounding on the glass as though trying to break it. You pressed a hand against the glass and sighed as you felt the familiar texture. Not that it would do him any good. It was bulletproof. Sharon was still lying unconscious on the floor of her cell. Blood trickled from a nasty looking cut on her forehead. 

Sam saw you moving and slammed both palms against the glass, trying to get your attention. You glanced at him, blearily and tried to read his lips. ‘Can you hack the doors?’ He was asking. 

Right. The doors. You held up a finger and closed your eyes. You placed both hands against your aching temples and bent your head to your knees. You reached for signals emanating from the doors and found . . . nothing. 

There was nothing there. 

Your heart sunk and you tried again. 

Still nothing. 

They were blocking you somehow. You couldn’t get out. You couldn’t help them. If you had your flash drive and a control panel, you might be able to work a miracle, but Sam still hadn’t given it back since you’d slipped into the etherverse to warn your team . . . 

You glanced up at Sam and shook your head slowly. It killed you to watch the slight glimmer of hope die out of his eyes and he turned his attention back to Sharon who was still lying perfectly still in her cell. 

You closed your eyes and resisted the urge to scream. After years of running and hiding – after all the years of sacrificing relationships with friends and family – you’d walked right into a trap and there was nothing you could do about it. For the first time ever, there was no back-up. There was no escape. There was nothing to do but wait for them to come to collect you because you knew that they would. 

You weren’t a novice to torture and you ideally wondered what it would be first. You couldn’t imagine it wouldn’t come to that. Of everyone on your team, you had been the biggest thorn in their sides, sure. But they wouldn’t rest until the entirety of your team had been found and turned back into the dutiful little soldiers you’d always been meant to be. 

The only silver lining was that you’d prepared for this eventuality. Your team had completely gone dark. The government had absolutely no chance of finding them now. 

You slumped to the ground and rolled onto your side, too tired to fight it anymore. 

The sounds of pounding resumed, and you frowned. They sounded different this time . . . closer. 

You cracked an eye open and scrambled to your feet. Bucky was standing outside your cell, banging on the glass with a frantic look in his eyes. He was alive! He was . . . you glanced him over . . . he was okay! 

You flattened your palms against the glass and his covered yours from the outside. He was trying to say something to you, but his lips were moving too fast for you to read them. 

You shook your head and mouthed at him to slow down. 

He shook his head and took a step back from the cell. He motioned for you to duck and aimed a gun at the window. You tried to warn him that it was bulletproof even as you moved aside, but he didn’t listen. 

He took aim and fired at the glass, ducking as the bullet rebounded and shot off into the air. Immediately, the lights in the cell room shut off leaving only a pulsing red glow to light the room. Bucky cursed and raced back to the glass putting his hands against it. ‘I’m going to find a way to get you out!’ He mouthed clearly. 

The sound of fans kicking on behind you made you turn, and you watched in horror as a cloud of something began filling the cell. You glanced over Bucky’s shoulder and saw it slowly filling Sam and Sharon’s cells too and a grim feeling filled you. 

You knew one thing for a fact. The government wouldn’t risk losing you again. If they couldn’t keep you here, they’d do everything in their power to make sure you never escaped again. 

Your eyes met Bucky’s panicked ones and for a brief second, his expression reminded you of the fear that had been on his face when you’d first come back after contacting your team . . . 

The sudden thought hit you with so much force, it almost knocked you over. Your team! Bastien! The file! 

You took quick stock of the chip in your brain and swallowed hard. The probability of it surviving such an intense upgrade was low but what other choice did you have? It was their lives, or yours. 

And you knew which option you’d pick. 

You pounded on the glass, stealing Bucky’s attention from the mad search he was making of the room. ‘I’m sorry we didn’t have more time.’ You mouthed. 

‘No! No! I’ll get you out of there!’ He screamed. 

You shook your head. ‘You’re a good man, James Barnes of the 107th.’ You echoed the words you’d first said to him when you’d met in a park what felt like an eternity ago. ‘Don’t ever forget that.’ 

And then you closed your eyes and opened Bastien's file. 

Bucky------------- 

You dropped almost as fast as Zemo had, but unlike Zemo, you didn’t look like you were breathing. 

“No!” Bucky screamed, pounding on the glass with his metal arm, desperately trying to shatter it. He had to get in there! He had to get you out! He watched in horror as the gas slowly started filling the confined space. He didn’t know how much time he had. 

His eyes frantically searched the room, but nothing he saw looked like it was going to do anything. 

A pounding snapped his attention to Sam’s cell. Sam was waving his arms, trying to grab Bucky’s attention. As soon as he had it, Sam gestured wildly towards the end of the hall of cells where armed guards were slowly clearing the shadows between cells, one by one. 

Bucky quickly disappeared into the shadows nearest you, pulling his weapons out and trying to come up with a plan. 

The odds weren’t good. There were easily a dozen men sweeping through the room and Bucky was on a timer. He estimated that he had maybe ten minutes to take out the soldiers and get the cells open before you, Sam and Sharon were overcome by whatever was pumping into your cells. 

Bucky couldn’t be sure what it was, but he had a feeling it was meant to incapacitate you. Permanently. 

Bucky ran over his options. He was outnumbered and outgunned. A twisted smile crossed his lips. He’d beaten those odds before. 

He tried to ignore the hammering in his chest that reminded him that this time, he had a lot more to lose because more now than ever, failure wasn’t an option. 

He listened intently to the sounds of the agents drawing closer. He took shallow breaths, waiting for them to get close enough to give him a fighting edge. He’d counted out almost two whole minutes in his head before he heard the sounds of boots squeaking on the floor just outside your cell. 

He took a deep breath and prepared to step out, guns ablazing. 

Just before he could, the alarms suddenly cut out and the red lights faded leaving everything pitch black. Bucky had maybe a moment for his eyes to adjust before all the lights suddenly flashed back on, nearly blinding him. 

Around him, he could hear the shouts of the guards as their retinas were virtually scorched behind their night vision goggles. 

Bucky hardly noticed the hissing sound of doors being opened as he surged forward and tackled several agents to the ground. He pushed to his knees and shot the legs out from under several more before someone managed topple into him. He shoved the body out of the way, knocking the knife from the man's clutches and kicking it awkwardly a few feet away. Then he grabbed his own dagger from his pocket and threw it, impaling another agent's shoulder. 

Bucky heard muffled shouts behind him, and he spun on his knees at the last second and pulled another gun from his belt aiming it at the man standing just behind him. Sam raised his hands in surrender. 

“Whoa man! It’s me! It’s just me!” 

Bucky took a few deep breaths, his mind working to catch up to his instincts before slowly lowering the weapon to the ground. As his mind caught up, his eyes widened, and he scrambled to your cell. 

The glass separating you was gone, but you were still lying motionless on the floor of your cell. 

“No, no, no.” Bucky whispered, running his hands over your form. You were so cold. “Come on, doll. Stay with me.” 

Behind him, Sam had one of Sharon’s arms slung over his shoulders as the woman stared confusedly around them. “Come on, man. We gotta go.” Sam said. 

Bucky glanced at him desperately before scooping you up into his arms and pushing past the bodies to lead the way out of the cell room. 

“The ceremony . . .” Sharon breathed out, as Sam led her from the room. 

Bucky glanced back at Sam. Sharon was right. They had to stick to the plan. Sam NEEDED to be announced as Captain America. 

“Go.” Bucky nodded, gesturing down the hall. “I’ve got her.” He said, pulling you tighter in his arms. He glanced up at the Sam and Sharon and quickly issued directions. “Up the stairs and to the right. Your way should be clear. They have you locked up in the capital building. Cameras are all set up out front.” 

Sam and Sharon nodded once and then moved as quickly as they could towards the stairs at the end of the hall. Bucky moved in the opposite direction, hesitant to try and escape with you still dead to the world in his arms. 

If it came to a fight, he wanted his hands free. 

Instead, he settled for finding an empty room he could hole up in. 

He tried a few hallways down from the cellroom and thankfully, it opened without issue. He pushed his way inside and glanced around. It would do. 

He laid you gently on one of the abandoned desks in the corner. The room seemed to be some kind of storage room with various pieces of spare furniture lying around. 

He gently swept your hair away from your face and then turned and began moving furniture in front of the door, barricading the only access point. 

When he was satisfied that no one else could get in; he returned to your unconscious body and wrapped you up in his arms, sinking to the floor. 

“Come on doll, ya can’t give up on me now.” He whispered, running his fingers over your face. “We’ve got a lot to talk about, first.” 

You didn’t stir. 

A flickering light suddenly grabbed Bucky’s attention and he turned in time to see the TV in the corner of the office flicker to life. 

“My brave Americans. In this time of uncertainty, we need, more than ever, a symbol of hope to look up to.” A portly senator stood on top of the steps of the capitol building. Behind him, John Walker stood in the shadows, waiting for his cue to step forward. 

Bucky kept a warm hand against your cheek, thumb stroking gently, as he took in the scene being broadcasted to every home in the country. 

“As all of you know, Steve Rogers, our previous Captain America was lost to us only a few short months ago. It was a loss I know all of us felt deeply in our hearts.” 

Bucky’s arms curled more tightly around you and a scowl formed on his face. 

“It is with his heroic sacrifice in mind that I am pleased to announce that his mantel will be passed down and a new era of heroism and patriotism will start today! Ladies and gentlemen . . . I present to you John . . .” 

The feed cut to a black screen right as John Walker stepped from the shadows, hand raised in the air. 

A distorted voice echoed from the TV. 

“Senator Kelly Leahy is correct, America.” The voice started. “The world needs, more than ever, a symbol of hope and freedom.” Images of war began appearing on the screen. Bucky recognized more than one from the war against Thanos. “For too long, we’ve lived in fear of those who would oppress us.” The images changed and Bucky buried his face in your hair as pictures of HYDRA and the atrocities they had committed appeared on screen. 

“They said we would be safe.” Faces of everyone involved with Project Freedom, including Kelly Leahy, the portly senator from before, appeared on screen. Each had devil horns and fire drawn around them. 

“But they lied.” 

Zemo’s face appeared, clearly in communication with the previously shown senators and various other highly positioned government officials. 

“This man is the face of HYDRA. He’s been in your government. He’s been in your streets. He plans on bringing us to our knees. But we will not submit.” 

The Avengers, past, present and fallen appeared on screen. Each of them was posed heroically as they appeared on screen and Bucky could feel tears well in his eyes as he saw Steve and Nat’s faces pass by. 

“We are stronger than HYDRA. We are stronger than those who would tear us down. We are UNITED!” 

The images on the screen faded and the cameras returned to show the pale face of the Senator on the phone just to the side of the podium, furiously waving his hand around as he barked orders into the phone. Behind him, John Walker stood with confusion clearly written on his face. 

The voice spoke again. “Steven Grant Rogers was a symbol of hope for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves. He meant for his legacy to be passed, not to a pawn of the government, but to someone he knew would uphold the same value for life that he had.” 

A hush fell over the crowd and Sam’s sheepish, but determined face, appeared just on the edge of the screen. 

“The man he chose, America, was none other than Sam Wilson. Our hero, the Falcon.” 

Sam inched closer to the podium and waved a hesitant hand out to the crowd. No one dared breathe. No one even seemed to be moving, except the senator whose red face was angrily stomping up the steps and back towards the podium. 

“Senator Leahy will tell you that America has chosen someone else. But we know that is not the case! So, please join with me in welcoming our new Captain America! Sam Wilson!” 

An echo of applause swept through the speakers of the TV. For a moment, no one in the crowd did anything and then, in a moment of déjà vu, someone in the back of crowd shouted; “Let’s hear it for Captain America!” 

The crowd went wild. 

Sam nodded, a serious smile on his face as he took to the microphone. “Thank you. Thank you.” He said nodding. 

Sharon had snuck in behind him and was clapping as she smiled widely. Senator Leahy got close and she shot him a murderous glare. The senator froze in his tracks. 

“I’m afraid I overslept and forgot the shield at home.” Sam started. 

John Walker stepped forward, almost awkwardly and offered Sam his own shield. 

Sam smiled as he took it from him. “Thanks, man.” He said, shaking his hand. 

Sam turned back to the crowd. “Years ago, I met the Star-Spangled-Man-With-A-Plan.” He paused a moment as he looked out over the crowd. “Steve Rogers was one of the best friends I’ve ever had. He taught me so much during our brief time together. But the thing he most stood for and the thing he inspired me believe is that every life matters.” 

A yell of agreement went through the crowd. 

Sam nodded and smiled. “Thanks. Yeah.” He said. He waited for the cheers to die down. 

“I’m not one for fancy speeches, and flowery words. But I can promise you this, I won’t ever stop fighting for the little guy.” Another cheer ripped through the crowd. 

Behind Sam, Sharon reached up and tapped on the earpiece she must have stolen from one of the agents Bucky had taken out. She leaned forward and whispered something in Sam’s ear. He nodded. 

“Thank you for your vote of trust and confidence, America. I promise to do my best to live up to it, everyday!” 

With that, Sam waved one last time and slipped from the stage. 

The TV shut off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmmmmmm . . . Intrigue.


	13. Aftermath

Your eyes were everywhere. 

You watched as the crowds turned on the Senator as he was quickly being led away by his security team even as you sent every single incriminating document you could find to every news agency in the country. Within hours the senator and everyone else who had been working with Zemo would be finished. HYDRA’s last operatives would be found with the hour and at long, long last, the dark shadow of the second world war could finally come to a close. 

You felt satisfied. But more importantly, you felt at peace. 

You were in the etherverse now. Slipping along the informational currents. No one could hurt you. No THING could hurt you. 

Your eyes trailed to the security camera long forgotten in the storage room that Bucky was holed up in. 

His arms were wrapped around your physical body and his fingers gently stroked your arms. His eyes were staring off into the distance, lost in a sea of his own thoughts, but you hardly noticed. 

There was something about him that distantly pulled on your subconscious, almost urging you to return to yourself. But you brushed it off. 

The upgrade Bastien had sent you had made you so much stronger. You were a virtual ghost now. Functionally immortal. What need did you have a weak mortal body when you could live as a God in the etherverse? 

Bucky tilted his head, drawing your attention again as he placed his forehead against yours. “You’ve gotta come back, doll.” He whispered, a tearful tone in his voice. He let out a watery chuckle. “You gotta see what Sam just did, anyhow. I have a feeling you’d love it.” 

You had seen it. In fact, you’d caused it. It was just a small showing of just how powerful you were now that you lived among the flow of information. You could raise entire powers in the eyes of the world, and you could topple entire governments. The possibilities were endless . . . 

“He’s not much of a public speaker. He’ll have to work on that.” Bucky continued, running and hand down your face. “Of course, Sharon could probably help with that. She’s got a much more likable face, anyhow. Sam’s has too many shit-eating grins on it for people to really like him.” 

Bucky buried his face in your hair again. 

“I don’t know why you won’t just wake up.” He cried, brokenly, both arms wrapping around you. 

Unconsciously, you drifted closer to the man holding you in his arms, a sudden and almost unfamiliar urge to comfort him swelling within you. 

You reached out a hand to touch him, but the radio waves went right through him. For a long moment you stared at your invisible hand. 

You had a choice to make. 

This was your live or die moment. 

You could stay here, in the etherverse, floating in the currents and changing the course of human history from the background, or you go do the truly terrifying thing. You could go back and change it one person at a time. 

If you went back, there would be pain. So much pain. The chip in your head had almost been entirely destroyed when you’d upgraded your software. You’d have to undergo another operation or risk your body failing entirely. 

The likelihood was that you’d never fully recover from what you did. At least not physically. 

But you’d be with Bucky again. 

You turned your head to the side, and you pulled up everything the etherverse had to offer about James Buchanan Barnes. You saw the old reels of footage that had been taken in the middle of World War II. You saw everything HYDRA had ever put him through. 

You saw the highs. You saw the lows. 

You saw the man that he’d become thanks to the tireless efforts of the Avengers and one Sam Wilson in particular. 

Most importantly, you saw the memories you had made with him in the few short days you’d been together. 

For the longest time, slipping into the etherverse and never coming back had been a temptation you’d barely been able to resist. When someone didn’t have friends or family to come home to, it was too easy to wonder; ‘Why come home at all?’ 

But things had changed. 

You had friends again. 

You had a family again. 

As your attention wandered back to the crying man in the dark room; for the second time in as many hours, you chose to risk it all. 

You chose HIM. 

Bucky ------------------ 

Bucky felt you move in his arms and jerked back at the sudden feeling. Your eyes were still closed and for a moment, he thought he’d imagined everything. But then, just as he felt his heart falling, your head twisted to the side and you let out a low groan. 

Bucky let out a shocked laugh as he once again threw himself at you and pulled you close. You were alive. You were back. 

Your eyes fluttered open and you raised a shaking hand to your head as you hissed in pain. “Stop that.” You whispered as your hand brushed against Bucky’s cheek and came away coated in his tears. 

Bucky leaned his forehead against yours. “You first, doll.” He laughed, leaning down to kiss you lightly on the head. “You gotta stop scaring me like that. I thought I’d lost you.” 

Your eyes slipped closed again as though you didn’t have the strength to keep them open, but you managed a weak smile. “Can’t get rid of me that easy, Barnes. I’m with you . . .” 

“. . . Til the end of the line.” Bucky whispered. 

“I like that.” You said sleepily. “I’m gonna steal it.” 

Bucky kissed your head and again. “It’s yours.” He whispered. 

He heard Sam and Sharon shouting your names in distance and he gently laid you back on the desk as he stood up before he moved to push the furniture out the way. 

The muffled sounds of things scraping across the floor drew Sam and Sharon’s attention and only moments after Bucky cleared the last bookcase, the door burst open. 

“Barnes.” Sam said, nodding at Bucky and shoving past him. Sam raced to your side and knelt on the floor, cupping your face in his hands. “Hey kid, can you look at me?” 

You fought to open your eyes as your head was turned in Sam’s direction. “Heeeey Sammy.” You giggled quietly. 

Sam’s smile was grim as he glanced over at Bucky and Sharon before he turned back to you. “Was that you, kid?” He asked urgently. 

“Was what me?” You asked, struggling to stay conscious. 

“Were you the one that just ‘V for Vendetta’d’ the broadcast out there?” 

You squinted up at him. “Didn’t you like it?” You asked. If you were being honest, you were having a hard time following the conversation. Sam seemed to notice the way you were struggling to keep your eyes open because he swore under his breath. He reached out a hand and cupped your face gently. "Come on, kid. Stay with me. You can't leave me all alone with Mr. Sulks-A-Lot over there. I need someone to buffer him for me."

You laughed, quietly, already fading into the darkness that seemed to want to envelope you although you did manage to keep half-lidded eyes trained on Sam's face. 

Sam seemed to pale under your gaze and wasted no time in sweeping you up in his arms, swearing viciously again. “We gotta go.” He said, looking over at Sharon. 

Sharon was already pulling her phone out of her pocket. "Shuri?" She asked. Sam nodded.

Sharon nodded quickly and raced out the door. 

“Here, man.” Sam said, handing you off to Bucky. 

Bucky took you in his arms with confusion playing on his face. “What's wrong?” He demanded, following Sam out into the hall. 

“If I’m right? She just fried her brain. We’ve got to get her to Wakanda. Hopefully Shuri will have something in that lab of hers. Stay right here. I’m gonna get us a ride.” Sam took one last worried look at you before he followed Sharon out into the hall. 

Bucky stared down at you in alarm and took the tell-tale signs of stress he’d first missed in his relief to have you back. 

“Hold on, doll. Just hold on.” He whispered, pressing another kiss to your head. “Let us take care of you this time.” 

You fell limply in his arms as the last dregs of consciousness faded from your mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So . . . uh . . . oof. This is awkward. On a scale of 1 to 10, how mad will you be if reader gets killed off? . . . Asking for a friend.


	14. Wakandian Nights

You remembered bits and pieces. 

Flashing lights. 

Frantic yells. 

Lots of moving. 

Mostly you remembered, in hazy detail, waking up in some kind of operating room as the doctors rooted around in your head, looking for the burnt hunk of plastic and metal that had been the cause of so many of your problems and yet had also allowed you to do so much good. 

It was that connection that you reached for now, not sure if you were more afraid of it still being there or of it not being there at all. 

It didn’t take you long to see which; it didn’t seem to be there at all. A tear slipped down your face and you were surprised at the overwhelming sense of loss that you felt. 

“Hey. Hey now, doll, don’t cry.” A voice said softly. “Can you open your eyes for me?” You knew that voice. You trusted it. 

You struggled to open your eyelids. They felt heavier than usual. Eventually you managed to pry them open to see James Buchanan Barnes’ face leaning over you worriedly. 

A breathtaking smile lit up his face as you opened your eyes and smiled at him. “Bucky.” You breathed. 

“Yeah, doll. Yeah. It’s me. How are you feeling?” 

You automatically went to do a system check and were momentarily stunned when you remembered you couldn’t do that anymore. You slowly moved your way mentally and manually checking your body. You felt fine. All your limbs were still moving. Nothing seemed broken or paralyzed . . . that was good. 

“I’m fine.” You said, looking up at him and smiling weakly. It was odd seeing his face reflecting back at you for the first time in your shared history without the ever-present codes shuffling across your vision that you’d come to know. 

Bucky eased back into the chair he must have been sitting in. Though he reached out and took one of your hands in his. He stroked his fingers over it for a moment before he reached it up and placed a gentle kiss to the back of it. 

Your heart skipped a beat. 

“Where am I?” You asked suddenly, glancing around the room. It was a nice one. Beautiful decorations covered most of the surfaces but nothing seemed even remotely familiar. 

Bucky blushed next to you. “Uh . . .” 

You glanced at him. 

He was rubbing the back of his neck with his metal hand, still squeezing your hand with his flesh one. “Well . . . you’re in . . . uh . . . my room.” He finished. “In Wakanda.” He added quickly. 

Your eyes widened. “Wakanda?” You choked out. “But . . .” 

“What the White Wolf means to say, Little Dove, is welcome to Wakanda.” The door to the room opened and a beautiful young woman stepped through. Her hair was done up in an intricate braid atop her head but there was a large smile on her face as she extended her hands out. 

“I . . . you’re . . . Princess.” You said, awkwardly, ducking your head in as close an approximation to a bow as you were able to get while still in bed. 

She laughed and waved a hand dismissively. “Relax. We don’t do that here.” She said. 

You eased against your pillows as Bucky squeezed your hand. 

Shuri walked in and held a tablet over your body. The thing seemed to scan you before she started tapping away at it. 

“You seem to be doing much better.” Shuri noted. “I don’t register any permanent or lasting damage from the operation. How is your pain?” 

You took a minute to take stock and were surprised to find that for the first time, in a long time, your pain simply wasn’t there. “It’s . . . gone.” You muttered in shock. 

Bucky squeezed your hand again and Shuri smiled kindly down at you. “That’s what we like to hear.” She said. 

She made a few notes on the tablet and then turned to leave the room. “Well, I must return and report to my brother. He has been very anxious to know of you.” 

“Wait.” You called out to her. She turned around expectantly, and you were suddenly filled with nerves. You glanced down at your and Bucky’s joined hands, unsure how to ask what you wanted to know. 

“Yes?” Shuri asked, patiently. 

You sighed and squeezed Bucky’s hands. “The . . . thing . . . in my head. Did you . . . ?” 

Shuri seemed to understand immediately what you were trying to say. She smiled and detached something from the tablet she was carrying. “Of course! My apologies.” 

She walked back to your bed and handed you a small red and yellow device. It looked somewhat like a remote. You glanced back up at her questioningly. 

For the first time since she entered the room, her confident persona seemed to drop slightly. “I’m afraid that the microchip you had implanted in your brain caused permanent damage that our doctors were unable to reverse. Your brain had grown around it, you see, relying heavily on the chip to control certain functions. We couldn’t remove the chip without risking your health further. We were, however, able to replace it. This new one should have all the capabilities of your last but with one key difference.” She reached a hand out and pointed at one of the buttons. “This button will turn of the computer part of your chip, leaving only the life sustaining parts active. Our new Captain America suggested it. He said that you may have had a desire to feel . . . normal on occasion.” 

Tears brimmed in your eyes and your free hand reached out to snag hers. “Thank you.” You whispered. 

She nodded again and squeezed your hand before before turning to leave the room. “When you have a moment, Sam has been pestering me almost nonstop. I suggest you give him a call. He’s been worried about you.” And with that she swept out of the room. 

You turned the small remote over and over in your hands as you took all of it in. 

Bucky cleared his throat next to you and your eyes flew to his face. 

“Are you . . . okay?” He asked quietly. 

You laughed. “I . . . I don’t know what I am anymore.” You admitted, wiping at your eyes. 

His eyes crinkled with a smile even as they dropped to the remote in your hand. “I know that it’s probably not what you wanted . . .” He started. 

You slipped your other hand out of his and reached up, tapping a finger against his lips. “It’s more than I could have hoped for.” You admitted, smiling at him. 

Bucky froze at the sensation of your finger against his lips before a sultry smirk crossed his face. 

“Wanna test it out?” He asked. 

You smiled back before nodding quickly. You hadn’t realized until it had been turned off just how much of your life revolved around your powers. You’d spend so much time reviling them, you’d never stopped to consider how much you liked them. 

You held the remote gently in your hands, reveling in the miracle that had occurred in your life and then, you pressed the button. 

Immediately, your mind remotely connected to the etherverse in a way it never had before. Information seemed to bloom away from your face, and you saw radio waves, internet waves and everything in between in stark colors racing around you. Your eyes lit up with wonder as you took it all in. 

In Bucky’s eyes, you’d never looked more beautiful. 

You were just about to reach out to touch one of the waves when Bucky suddenly captured your lips with his. 

You threw your arms around his neck and pulled him closer, relishing the feel of him under you. 

Bucky broke away first, but only after the both of you were panting for air. 

“Sorry.” He whispered, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair away from your face. “I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile.” 

A slow smile lit up your face and you leaned in to place a much more chaste kiss on his lips. “Good. Me too.” You said. 

Despite your best efforts, your eyes were drawn back to the etherverse swimming around you and you grimaced. 

Bucky laughed. “What is it this time, doll?” He asked, gently moving you aside so he could slide in next to you. He wrapped an arm behind your back and you snuggled against his chest even as the news from across the world played out on your vision. 

“Captain Dumbass is at it again.” You grumbled. 

Bucky let out a booming laugh that made you smile as it shook you. “Yeah? What did he do this time?” 

You watched as Sam flung the shield out and brained a news reporter instead of the bad guy. 

“Let’s just say the idiot needs to learn how to fling a frisbee.” 

Bucky chuckled and kissed the top of your head. “Alright, then. Let me see if I can find us a ride.” 

He held you tighter for a minute before he moved to swing out of the bed. 

You grabbed his shirt, keeping him where he was. “No, wait.” You said. He froze. “Let's me see where this goes first. I’m . . . I’m still recovering.” You finished lamely. You didn’t want to leave just yet. Not with Bucky’s arms securely wrapped around you.

Your shit-eating grin couldn’t be kept from your face as you watched Sam hastily run to the reporter and trying to help the unconscious man back up. 

You didn’t regret your decision to help Sam for a single minute. He was what the world needed. But it sure was going to be fun watching him figure it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We did it! We made it! We finished it!
> 
> What did you guys think about the ending? I will say, I couldn't resist throwing the tiniest little Tony Stark reference in there. I like to think that if he was still around, he would have adopted reader as one of his "kids" so fast! It is, after all, his tech in her brain. Even though that's not his fault, I still think he would have felt like it was and really taken her under his wing. Not to mention, imagine reader interacting with any of his AI's!? Incredible.
> 
> Thanks for reading. Thanks for sticking with all the sporadic updates and the whole month of rewrites. 
> 
> You guys are the best.
> 
> Stay safe out there and I'll see you next time.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my take on what the Falcon and Winter Soldier Series coming to Disney+ eventually could look like.


End file.
